BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

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THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


HEROES  and  INCIDENTS 


OF   THE 


MEXICAN    WAR, 


CONTAINING 


*  Expedition. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO.  A  DE 
SCRIPTION  OF  THE  PEOPLE  AND  CUSTOMS  AT  THAT 
TIME.  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  DONIPHAN. 
TOGETHER  WITH  SKETCHES  AND  PORTRAITS  OF 
THE  HEROES  OF  THAT  STRUGGLE. 

Illustrated  With  Fine  Engravings. 

By  ISAAC  GEORGE. 

Member    of  Doniphan's  Expedition,   Co.,  B,   First  Regi 
ment  of  Missouri  Cavalry. 


Written  from  dictation  by  J.  D.  BERRY.  A.  M. 


PRINTED  BY 

REVIEW   PUBLISHING   CO., 

GREENSBURG,    PA. 

OCT.   1903. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 


Publisher's  Notes. 


The  author  of  this  work  is  a  well  known  and 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Latrobe,  Westmoreland 
county,  Pennsylvania.  He  is  a  retired  farmer, 
having  formerly  owned  and  occupied  a  valuable 
tract  of  land  near  Beatty,  some  three  miles  from 
Latrobe,  but  which  he  sold  some  time  ago  and 
purchased  a  fine  residence  in  Latrobe. 

The  allotted  life  of  man  is  "three  score  years 
and  ten,"  or  seventy  years,  but  the  writer  of  this 
work  has  passed  that  period  and  has  arrived  at 
the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-one  years,  and  although 
he  is  an  octogenarian,  his  eye  is  still  bright,  his 
mind  clear,  while  his  step  yet  retains  much  of  the 
elasticity  of  youth,  in  fact,  the  burden  of  eighty- 
one  years  rests  lightly  upon  his  shoulders,  and  is  a 
better  man  physically,  than  many  who  are  but  half 
his  age.  The  excellent  health  and  digestion  he  en 
joys  is  largely  attributable  to  a  temperate  life,  having 
never  contracted  bad  habits  of  any  kind.  He  has 
lived  a  life  of  peace  with  his  fellow  men,  and  hav 
ing  wrought  faithfully  during  his  earlier  and 
later  manhood,  he  can  now,  in  the  sunset  of  life, 
enjoy  the  reward  of  his  labors. 

Mr.  George,  in  common  with  others  wh'o  reach 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.  3 

old  age,  can  distinctly  remember  the  incidents  of 
the  distant  past.  It  seems  that  memory,  in  the 
minds  of  the  aged,  is  inclined  to  search  its  store 
house  for  the  records  of  the  long  ago,  which  it 
brings  forth  for  inspection,  and  often  things  that 
have  been  forgotten  are  brought  to  mind,  and  like 
gazing  upon  the  exhibition  of  a  moving  picture, 
we  seem  to  again  live  in  the  past. 

To  some  it  is  almost  impossible  to  realize  what 
it  is  to  live  for  eighty  years.  We  read  in  history 
of  the  election  of  James  K.  Polk,  as  tenth  President 
of  the  United  States,  and  of  his  inauguration  on 
the  4th  of  March,  1845,  which  was  fifty-eight  years 
ago.  We  also  read  of  the  Mexican  War,  which 
occurred  during  President  Folk's  administration, 
and  it  seems  a  long  distance  back  in  the  past,  yet 
distant  though  it  be,  the  author  of  this  book  was 
twenty-three  years  of  age  when  President  Polk 
was  inaugurated,  and  in  the  flush  of  his  young 
manhood  he  took  part  in  the  war  which  followed, 
serving  in  the  "Army  of  the  West,"  as  a  member 
of  the  Missouri  Volunteers,  under  Col.  A.  W. 
Doniphan,  whose  expedition  into  the  enemy's 
country  forms  the  title,  and  supplies  the  incidents 
for  this  work. 

In  the  work  of  the  historian,  time  is  only 
given  to  a  brief  illusion  to  men  and  incidents,  that 
in  themselves  would  form  a  relation  of  fact  that 
would  prove  stranger  than  fiction,  and  worthy 
men,  who  were  the  heroes  of  noble  deeds  in  the 
long  ago,  are  forgotten,  and  the  purpose  of  the 
author  in  this  work  is  to  recall  the  trials  and  strug 
gles  of  himself  and  comrades  which  occurred  a  half 
century  ago,  under  the  command  of  one  of  the 
brightest  minds  this  country  ever  produced,  and 
one  who  was  the  peer  of  the  noblest  of  her  sons. 

As  we  contemplate  the  task  of  gathering  to- 


4          INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

gether  the  data  furnished  us  by  the  author  in  order 
to  incorporate  it  into  a  readable  volume,  it  seems 
to  us  that  we  are  forming  a  link  that  will  connect 
the  distant  past  with  the  immediate  present,  a  link 
that  will  span  the  abyss  of  over  half  a  century, 
and  while  we  could,  perhaps,  make  the  work  more 
interesting  to  some  by  drawing  upon  our  imagina 
tion,  we  shall  defer  to  the  wishes  of  the  author 
and  state  only  what  are  facts,  and  use  as  terse 
language  for  the  purpose  as  we  can  command.  By 
doing  this  we  hope  to  make  this  work  one  of  value, 
as  well  as  a  work  of  interest.  The  sources  of  in 
formation  from  which  we  derive  material  for  this 
work  are  authentic,  and  before  we  shall  draw  from 
them,  they  will  be  carefully  scanned  by  the  author 
and  by  him  endorsed,  and  as  he  was  not  only  pre 
sent,  but  an  active  participant  in  many  of  the  inci 
dents  recorded,  he  is  amply  qualified  to  pass  judge 
ment  upon  the  truth,  or  untruth  of  other  writers 
on  this  subject. 

Some  weeks  ago  we  were  in  the  city  of 
Washington,  and  upon  our  return  we  left  the 
nation's  capital  in  the  early  morning.  As  we 
rapidly  sped  away  the  city  seemed  to  sink  from 
sight  amid  the  shadows,  while  the  great  marble 
shaft,  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  "Father  of  His 
Country,"  seemed  to  loom  up  in  greater  proportions 
as  we  receded  farther  and  farther,  and  as  we  were 
now  turning  our  attention  to  the  scenes  and  inci 
dents  of  the  struggles  of  our  country  during  Presi 
dent  Folk's  administration,  the  name,  character 
and  personality  of  "Doniphan,"  and  the  brave  and 
noble  men  under  him,  as  well  as  other  noble  heroes 
who  took  part  in  that  war,  seem  to  rise  in  the  dis 
tance  above  the  shadows  of  the  past,  and  assume 
proportions  that  challenge  the  respect  and  admira 
tion  of  the  world.  Col.  Doniphan  was  a  hero  and 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN   WAR.          5 

commanded  a  band  of  heroes  who  wrote  their  names 
in  crimson-colored  indellible  characters  upon  the 
history  of  their  country,  and  now,  as  we  can  better 
appreciate  the  results  of  their  noble  work  in  the 
value  of  the  territory  acquired,  we  can  the  better 
appreciate  their  efforts  when  that  territory  was  a 
comparitive  wilderness,  and  to  each  of  the  very 
few  surviving  members  of  Doniphan's  band  of 
heroes,  and  other  heroes  of  that  war,  we  can  cheer 
fully  accord  the  honor  and  reverence  which  is  their 
due. 

In  writing  and  compiling  this  work  we  will 
depart  from  the  usual  custom  of  entering  into 
details,  and  select  such  incidents  as  we  deem  worthy, 
a  kind  of  selecting  the  grain  from  the  chaff,  mak 
ing  each  incident  complete  by  itself.  We  hope  by 
this  method  to  make  the  story  one  of  interest,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  reader  will  be  able  to  form  an 
intelligent  idea  of  the  sufferings  and  trials  of  Doni- 
phan  and  his  men  during  their  wonderful  march, 
a  march  of  a  single  regiment  of  undisciplined 
troops,  through  five  populous  states  of  the  Mexi 
can  Republic — almost  annihilating  a  powerful 
army — and  finally  returning  home,  after  having 
covered  nearly  six-thousand  miles,  crowned  with 
the  trophies  of  victory. 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


Life  of  the  Author. 


Adam  George  the  progenitor  of  the  Unity 
township  Georges,  came  out  of  Germany,  and  first 
settled  in  York  county,  Pa.,  and  afterwards  about 
the  time  of  the  opening  of  the  land  office  (1769) 
came  into  Westmoreland  and  located  upon  the  place 
known  in  frontier  times  as  "George's  Station" 
which  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Peter  George 
and  which  is  but  a  short  distance  from  the  present 
"George  Station"  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 
The  name  of  Adam  George  appears  in  the  list  of 
signers  to  the  petitions  of  1774  to  Governor  Penn 
for  military  protection  from  the  Indians.  In  the 
Revolution  he  was  a  soldier  under  the  immediate 
command  of  Washington;  he  also  served  on  the 
frontier,  and  although  he  escaped  serious  personal 
injury  yet  it  seemed  as  by  miracle.  He  died  at  an 
advanced  age,  and  was  buried  on  his  own  farm. 
One  of  his  sons,  Conrad  George,  was  in  the  Fort  at 
Hannastown  when  the  village  was  burned.  John, 
the  second  son  grew  up  with  great  hunting  procliv 
ities,  and  spent  much  of  his  early  manhood  in  the 
chase  on  the  Alleghenies.  He  married  in  Somerset 
county,  Miss  Eleanor  Campbell,  about  the  year 
1800.  They  lived  together  until  the  death  of  Mrs. 


ISAAC  GEORGE. 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.  7 

George  in  1860,  a  period  of  sixty  years,  and  had 
a  family  of  six  sons  and  seven  daughters  all  of 
whom,  except  one  daughter,  grew  to  maturity. 
After  his  marriage,  he  lived  in  Mercer  county  until 
the  spring  of  1811,  when  he  settled  on  the  farm 
later  occupied  by  his  son  Isaac,  whose  portrait 
accompanies  this  sketch,  situate  in  Unity 
township,  near  Beatty  Station.  He  died  Sept.  4th, 
1863,  and  was  buried  in  Unity  Church  cemetery. 

Isaac,  the  eleventh  child  of  John,  was  born 
October  4th,  1822,  in  Unity  township  on  the  fann 
which  he  owned,  until  December  6,  1902.  He  grew 
up  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
eighteen,  when  he  went  out  from  the  home  roof 
to  learn  his  trade.  After  serving  an  apprentice 
ship  of  three  years  at  the  carpenter  trade,  he  went 
to  May's  Lick'  Ky.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trad* 
for  one  year;  thence  to  Lexington,  Mo.,  where  he 
continued  to  work  at  his  trade  with  good  success. 
At  this  time  occurred  the  war  with  Mexico,  and 
under  a  call  for  volunters,  Mr.  George  enlisted  in 
the  company  of  Captain  Walton,  (Company  B.), 
in  the  regiment  which,  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Doniphan  made  that  famous  march  which  has  im 
mortalized  all  those  who  participated  in  it. 

This  regiment  was  raised  in  Western  Missouri 
near  the  border  of  Kansas.  They  assembled  at 
Fort  Leavenworth  and  began  their  celebrated  march 
across  the  plains  to  the  confines  of  Mexico  on  the 
26th,  of  June,  1846.  The  regiment  was  called  the 
First  Regiment  of  Missouri  Mounted  Riflemen; 
Its  colonel  was  A.  W.  Doniphan,  and  it  was  attach 
ed  to  the  division  of  Gen.  Stephen  W.  Kearney. 
The  march  of  this  regiment  called  "Doniphan's 
March,"  or  "Doniphan's  Expedition,"  is  one  of  the 
most  memorable  in  modern  warfare,  and  the  bold 
ness  of  its  conception,  and  the  success  in  which  it 


8          INCIDENTS  OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

terminated,  brought  forth  the  commendation  of  all 
military  men  and  the  plaudits  of  the  people 
throughout  the  Union.  The  march  will  be  cele 
brated  to  all  time,  in  the  military  history  of  the 
nation. 

After  a  march  of  one  thousand  miles  across 
the  plains  through  a  hostile  region  the  regiment 
took  Santa  Fe,  on  the  i8th  of  August,  1846,  fought 
the  battle  of  Brazito,  which  secured  El  Paso, 
crossed  the  Rio  Grande  into  Mexico  proper, 
marched  on  toward  Chihuahua,  which,  after  the 
brilliant  battle  and  victory  of  Sacramento,  they 
captured, Feb.  28th,  1847.  From  there  the  com 
mand  was  ordered  by  Gen.  Taylor  to  report  to 
Gen.  Brook  at  New  Orleans,  they  being  allowed  to 
put  in  the  rest  of  their  time  in  marching  homeward, 
an  honor  conferred  upon  them  in  recognition  of 
their  distinguished  services  to  the  country,  which 
the  general  commanding  regarded  to  be  so  effec 
tual  as  to  be  thus  publicly  acknowledged. 

From  Camargo,  on  the  Rio  Grande,  ten  men 
from  each  company  volunteered  to  take  the  horses 
of  the  regiment  overland  by  way  of  Texas  to  their 
homes.  Returning  home  by  way  of  New  Orleans, 
he,  with  about  one-half  of  his  comrades,  landed  in 
Lexington,  Mo.,  July  ist,  1847,  having  been  honor 
ably  discharged.  His  parents  being  now  advanced 
in  age,  he  visited  them,  and  out  of  a  sense  of  duty 
to  them  took  charge  of  their  affairs.  He  bought 
their  farm  and  continued  to  own  and  reside  upon  it 
until  about  one  year  ago.  In  addition  to  farming- 
he  has  been  rather  extensively  engaged  in  the  lum 
ber  manufacture  and  for  years  has  carried  on  saw- 
milling,  profitably. 

On  the  26th,  of  Dec.,  1853,  Mr.  George  mar 
ried  Miss  Mary  Ann,  daughter  of  Hon.  Samuel 
Nixon,  of  Fayette  county,  a  man  of  honorable 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR.          9 

standing  who  served  three  terms  in  the  Legislature 
of  the  state,  and  ten  years  as  Associate  Judge  of 
Fayette  county.  Mrs.  George,  a  woman  of  energy 
and  piety,  has  contributed  not  a  little  to  her  hus 
band's  success.  They  have  raised  a  family  of  two 
sons  and  three  daughters. 

While  in  Kentucky,  Mr.  George  united  with 
the  Disciple  church.  His  wife  was  a  member  of 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church.  After  their 
marriage  they  attended  the  Presbyterian  church  of 
Unity,  with  which  they  also  united  with  their  child 
ren.  Mr.  George  is  a  man  of  quiet  manners,  of 
consistent  morals,  and  of  liberality.  He  makes 
himself  useful  in  church  work  when  he  is  called  up 
on  to  lend  a  helping  hand.  He  is  exact,  and  scrupu 
lously  honest  in  his  dealings,  has  keen  discern 
ment  and  quiet  energy.  No  man  in  his  neighbor 
hood  has  had  better  success  in  any  calling,  than 
Mr.  George  has  had  in  his.  The  fruits  of  his  dil 
igence,  tact,  and  Christian  uprightness,  which  he 
now  enjoys,  are  a  liberal  and  increasing  worldly 
portion,  the  esteem  of  his  neighbors,  and  a  virtuous 
and  intelligent  family. 

(From  the  history  of  Westmoreland  County, 
by  G.  Dallas  Albert.) 


10        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


Author's  Preface. 


As  many  of  my  friends  who  read  this  book, 
will  think  it  strange  that  a  native  of  Westmoreland 
county,  Penn'a.,  should  figure  as  a  member  of  the 
Missouri  Volunteers,  I  wish  to  say,  by  way  of  ex 
planation,  that  I  was  born  near  Latrobe,  in  1822. 
I  learned  the  carpenter  trade  in  Uniontown,  Fayette 
county,  and  in  1844  I  went  to  Lexington,  Lafayette 
county,  Missouri,  where  I  followed  my  trade  up 
to  the  time  of  my  enlistment,  on  the  sixth  day  oi 
June,  1846,  at  which  time  I  became  a  member  of 
Company  B.,  First  Missouri  Cavalry,  Captain  Wil 
liam  Walton,  in  the  regiment  commanded  by  Colo 
nel  Doniphan,  and  a  part  of  "The  Army  of  the 
West,"  under  General  Kearney.  After  being  mus 
tered  out  of  service  I  returned  to  my  home,  near 
Latrobe,  Westmoreland  county,  this  state,  where 
I  have  since  resided. 

During  my  service  in  the  war  of  which  "Doni- 
phan's  expedition"  was  a  part,  I  kept  a  diary,  which 
together  with  my  recollection  of  the  incidents  of 
that  wonderful  trip  furnished  the  data  for  this 
work.  It  has  long  been  my  desire  to  group  all 
the  facts  connected  therewith  into  a  volume,  in 
order  that  the  present  generation  could  learn  of 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR.       11 

the  struggles  and  trials  of  the  upholders  of  the 
stars  and  stripes  at  that  time,  but  it  is  only  recently 
that  I  have  been  able  to  begin  the  accomplishment 
of  my  desires,  and  in  this  work  which  I  am  at 
tempting,  I  can  only  briefly  allude  to  many  things 
that,  in  themselves,  would  require  a  volume  to  pro 
perly  describe. 

To  my  remaining  comrades  of  the  "Mexican 
War."  I  send  an  affectionate  greeting.  According 
to  the  laws  of  nature  we  have  nearly  crossed  the 
Great  Plains  of  life,  and  are  now  resting  in  the 
shadows  of  the  trees  which  fringe  the  river  of  the 
Jordan  of  Death,  where  we  await  the  command  of 
the  great  General-in-chief  to  cross  to  the  other  side. 
To  some  of  us  the  march  through  life  has  been  over 
rugged  mountains  and  on  thorny  paths,  while  to 
others  the  way  has  been  more  pleasant,  and  to  all 
of  us,  we  trust,  the  hope  of  one  day  meeting  to 
gether  after  we  have  reported  at  headquarters 
across  the  river,  is  a  pleasant  one,  and  while  time 
may  have  dimmed  the  glories  won  a  half -cen 
tury  ago,  so  far  as  earth  and  earthly  things  are 
concerned,  we  trust  that  as  each  old  veteran  is 
summoned  into  the  presence  of  the  King  of  Kings, 
he  may  hear  the  welcome  plaudit,  "well  done." 
Respectfully,  THE  AUTHOR. 


12        INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 


Origin  of  the  Mexican  War. 


In  the  beginning  of  this  work  we  deem  it  per 
tinent  to  briefly  allude  to  the  cause  of  the  war  be 
tween  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  as  we  remem 
ber  it. 

It  might  be  said  that  the  annexation  of  Texas, 
as  an  integral  part  of  the  Union,  was  the  prime 
cause,  although  the  relation  between  the  two  coun 
tries  at  that  time  were  not  as  friendly  as  might 
have  been,  and  when  Texas  became  a  state  it  at 
once  caused  a  rupture.  Although  the  independence 
of  Texas  had  been  recognized  by  the  United 
States,  England,  France,  and  other  powers, 
Mexico  still  claimed  the  state  as  part  of  its  terri 
tory,  and  soon  after  Congress,  in  March,  1845, 
had  adopted  the  joint  resolution  for  the  admission 
of  Texas  into  the  Union,  General  Almonte,  the 
Mexican  Minister  at  Washington,  demanded  his 
passports,  which  act  was  soon  followed  by  a  proc 
lamation  by  General  Herrera,  then  President  of 
Mexico,  declaring  the  rights  of  that  country  and 
his  determination  to  defend  them. 

An  immediate  cause  of  the  war  might  be  at 
tributed  to  the  action  of  President  Polk  in  sending 
General  Zachary  Taylor,  with  a  force  of  fifteen- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.         13 

hundred  men,  to  occupy  a  strip  of  disputed  terri 
tory  between  the  Rio  Grande  and  Nueces  rivers. 
This  force  was  called  the  "Army  of  Occupation," 
and  its  purpose  was  the  defense  of  Texas.  Gener 
al  Taylor  occupied  this  territory  from  September} 
1845,  until  tne  spring  of  1846,  when  he  received 
orders  to  advance  toward  the  mouth  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  opposite  the  city  of  Matamoras.  The 
cause  of  this  order  was  the  fact  that  Mexican  troops 
were  being  assembled  near  there  with  the  evident 
intention  of  invading  Texas. 

General  Taylor  reached  the  point  to  which  he 
had  been  directed  where  he  erected  a  fort  naming 
it  in  honor  of  Major  Brown.  General  Taylor  had 
left  his  stores  at  Point  Isabel  in  the  care  of  Major 
Monroe  with  four  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and 
while  erecting  Fort  Brown  a  considerable  body  of 
Mexicans  got  between  him  and  the  camp  at  Point 
Isabel.  Taylor,  leaving  a  regiment  of  infantry  and 
two  companies  of  artillery  to  defend  the  fort, 
marchd  to  the  relief  of  Point  Isabel.  While  there 
the  Mexicans  attacked  Fort  Brown,  but  were  re 
pulsed.  General  Taylor  then  marched  to  the  relief 
of  the  fort  and  meeting  the  Mexicans,  six  thous 
and  strong  at  Palo  Alto,  a  battle  was  fought,  and 
although  General  Taylor  had  but  two  thousand 
men,  in  a  hot  fight  of  five  hours  the  Mexicans  were 
routed  with  a  loss  of  six-hundred  men,  while  the 
Americans  lost  fifty-three.  The  next  day,  May 
Qth,  the  march  was  resumed  toward  Fort  Brown 
when  the  Mexicans  were  discovered  strongly  posted 
in  a  ravine  called  Resaca  de  la  Palma.  A  short 
and  bloody  conflict  ensued  in  which  the  Americans 
were  again  victorious.  The  Americans  lost  one- 
hundred  and  ten  men  while  the  Mexican  loss  was 
over  a  thousand,  together  with  a  General  and  one- 
hundred  men  who  were  made  prisoners,  eight 


14        INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

pieces  of  cannon  and  a  number  of  military  stores. 

In  the  meantime  a  knowledge  of  the  critical 
situation  of  the  "Army  of  Occupation"  had  arous 
ed  the  whole  country,  and  prior  to  the  news  of  the 
battles  to  which  we  have  referred,  Congress,  on 
May  n,  1846,  declared  that,  by  the  act  of  the  Re 
public  of  Mexico,  "a  state  of  war  existed,"  and  the 
President  was  authorized  to  raise  50,000  men,  and 
ten  million  dollars  were  appropriated  for  carrying 
on  the  contest.  General  Scott  and  the  Secretary 
of  War  quickly  planned  a  campaign  greater  in 
some  respects  than  any  that  had  been  recorded  in 
history.  It  embraced  the  operation  of  a  fleet  to 
sweep  around  Cape  Horn  to  attack  the  Pacific 
coast  of  Mexico,  a  division  known  as  "The  Army 
of  the  West"  was  designed  to  invade  New  Mexico 
and  co-operate  with  the  fleet.  The  "Army  of  the 
Center"  was  to  invade  Old  Mexico  from  the  north, 
and  as  Mexico  had  made  a  formal  declaration  of 
war  May  23,  hostilities  between  the  two  nations 
became  active. 

The  "Army  of  the  West"  was  given  into  the 
command  of  General  (then  Colonel)  Stephen  W. 
Kearney,  with  orders  to  proceed  against  New 
Mexico  and  California.  He  left  Fort  Leaven- 
worth  in  June,  and  after  a  wonderful  march  of 
nearly  a  thousand  miles  over  the  Great  Plains,  and 
amid  the  Rocky  mountain  ranges,  he  reached  Santa 
;Fe,  the  capital  of  New  Mexico,  on  August  18. 
He  took  possession  of  the  city,  and  then  started 
toward  California  but  was  met  by  a  messenger 
from  Lieutenant-Colonel  Freemont,  with  the  infor 
mation  that  California  was  subjugated.  General 
Kearney  sent  the  main  body  of  his  troops  back  to 
Santa  Fe,  and  with  one-hundred  men  pushed  on 
and  joined  Commodore  Stockton  and  Colonel  Free- 
niont  who  had  captured  Los  Angeles  on  August 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.         15 

17.  In  the  meantime,  while  General  Kearney  was 
on  his  way  to  California,  Colonel  Doniphan,  with 
one  thousand  Missouri  volunteers,  had  been  de 
tailed  to  subjugate  the  Navajo  Indians  and  com 
pel  a  treaty  of  peace.  He  succeeded  on  Novembei 
22,  after  which  he  marched  toward  the  city  of  Chi 
huahua,  which  place  he  reached  after  a  couple  of 
battles,  and  of  which  he  took  possession.  This 
city  had  a  population  of  forty-thousand.  Doniphan 
and  his  command  rested  here  for  some  six  weeks, 
after  which  he  marched  to  Saltillo  and  camped  on 
the  battle  ground  of  Buena  Vista,  and  joined  Gen 
eral  Wool.  He  then  returned  to  New  Orleans, 
having  made  a  march  of  over  five-thousand  miles 
amid  dangers  and  perils  that  would  daunt  the 
stoutest  heart,  and  it  was  the  incidents  in  that 
connection  which  form  the  theme  of  this  work, 
known  as  "Doniphan's  Expedition." 


16        INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


Doniphan's  Life. 


We  are  indebted  largely  to  a  sketch  of  the 
life  and  character  of  Col.  Alexander  W.  Doniphan, 
written  by  D.  G.  Allen,  Esq.,  of  Missouri,  for  the 
information  relative  to  the  life  of  this  great  soldier 
^and  statesman,  who  was  born  in  Mason  county, 
Kentucky,  July  Qth,  1808. 

John  Doniphan,  his  father,  was  a  native  of 
^Virginia  but  had  gone  to  Kentucky  prior  to  1779 
iand  remained  there  a  year  or  more.  While  there 
ihe  was  engaged  in  teaching  school,  and  he  was  the 
{first  man  "who  taught  the  young  idea  how  to 
shoot"  on  the  "Dark  and  Bloody  Ground."  Re 
turning  to  Virginia  prior  to  the  seige  of  Yorktown, 
he  entered  the  Continental  army  and  remained  in 
it  until  the  conclusion  of  the  revolutionary  struggle. 
Marrying  Anne  Smith,  he  returned  to  Kentucky  in 
1790,  and  made  his  home  in  Mason  county.  Miss 
Smith  was  a  lady  of  extraordinary  mental  powers 
and  brilliant  wit.  She  was  an  aunt,  I  may  add,  to 
the  late  Gov.  William  Smith  of  Virginia. 

Joseph  Doniphan  was  for  a  great  many  years 
prior  to  his  death,  the  intimate  friend  of  the  famous 
Simon  Kenton.  It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  during  the  genera- 


COL.  A.  W.  DONIPHAN. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        17 

tion  immediately  succeeding  the  conclusion  of  the 
struggle  for  independence  by  the  colonies  and  the 
wresting  of  the  soil  of  Kentucky  from  the  savages. 
He  was  born  amid  the  odors  of  the  forest.  The 
first  tales  poured  into  his  ears  when  he  was  old 
enough  to  be  intelligent,  were  those  of  stern  conflict 
for  liberty  and  civilization.  The  first  names  by 
him  lisped  were  those  of  Washington,  Wayne, 
Marion,  Lighthorse  Harry  Lee,  and  the  whole  im 
mortal  host  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  born  when 
American  manhood  was  at  its  acme,  and  the  same 
profound  feeling  of  patriotism  thrilled  every  bosom 
from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  deepest  recesses  of 
the  Western  wilderness. 

Joseph  Doniphan  died  in  the  year  1813,  and 
his  son  was  left  to  the  watchful  care  of  his 
mother.  She  was  adequate  to  the  rearing  of  the 
young  eagle.  At  the  age  of  eight  years  she  placed 
him  under  the  instruction  of  Richard  Keene,  of 
Augusta,  Kentucky,  a  learned  though  eccentric 
Irishman,  who  was  a  graduate  of  Trinity  College, 
Dublin.  Mr.  Keene  was  of  that  very  considerable 
body  of  educated  Irishmen — ardent  followers  of 
Robert  Emmet — who  found  their  safety  in  emi 
gration  to  America  at  the  conclusion  of  the  Irish 
Rebellion  in  1798.  Ardent,  enthusiastic,  boiling 
with  courage,  entertaining  the  most  romantic  ideas 
of  freedom,  they  were  a  dynamical  process  in  the 
history  of  every  young  mind  brought  in  contact 
with  them.  An  examination  into  the  history  of 
our  country  will  develop  the  fact  that  these  young 
Irish  teachers  were  an  intellectual  power  and  bles 
sing  all  over  the  then  settled  portion  of  the  United 
States.  Col.  Doniphan  never  ceased  the  expression 
of  his  gratitude  to  Mr.  Keene. 

One  who  was  familiar  with  the  absolute  ease 
and  accuracy  with  which  Col.  Doniphan  wreaked 


18        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

his  thoughts  upon  expression  would  be  as 
tonished  at  the  declaration  that  he  ever  lacked  for 
words.  He  said,  however,  that  in  his  youth  his 
vocabulary  was  limited  and  his  expressions  clumsy 
and  difficult.  Mr.  Keene  assured  him  that  only 
through  acquaintance  with  the  great  poets  could 
exact,  powerful,  brilliant  expressions  be  acquired. 
Through  knowledge,  said  he,  of  the  poets  could 
alone  come  the  precise  meaning  of  words,  the  per 
fect  pronounciation  of  them,  the  melody  of  speech, 
and  the  majestic  declamation  of  the  orator.  By 
Mr.  Keene's  advice  he  carefully  studied  the  poets, 
and  results  in  the  pupil  went  very  far  to  prove  cor 
rect  the  theory  of  the  master. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  he  was  entered 
a  student  of  Augusta  college,  in  Bracken  county, 
Kentucky.  He  graduated  there  at  the  early  age 
of  eighteen  years,  with  great  distinction,  particu 
larly  in  the  classics.  While  at  Augusta  College,  he 
had  the  benefit  of  the  training  and  molding  influ 
ences  of  several  very  able  instructors. 

In  his  youth  the  predilection  of  Col.  Doni- 
phan  was  for  the  law  for  a  life-profession,  and  this 
was  largely  through  the  influence  of  his  mother, 
who  was  a  woman  of  great  and  far-reaching 
mind.  Upon  quitting  college,  therefore,  for  the 
purpose  of  legal  study,  he  entered  the  law  office  of 
Hon.  Martin  P.  Marshall,  of  Augusta,  Kentucky. 
In  the  opinion  of  the  pupil,  his  legal  preceptor  was 
one  of  the  most  learned  and  able  of  all  the  members 
of  the  famous  Marshall  family.  In  the  course  of 
study  recommended  by  Mr.  Marshall  and  required 
by  him  of  his  pupil  is  to  be  discovered  the  first  in 
stance,  it  is  alleged,  in  this  country,  of  the  strictly 
historical  method  in  the  study  of  the  law.  First  of 
all  he  required  his  pupil  to  read  and  carefully  study 
portions  of  the  classical  authors  of  the  English 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.         19 

language.  In  this  occupation  he  expended  six 
months.  It  was,  as  Mr.  Marshall  phrased  it,  to 
fructify  and  chasten  the  pupil's  imagination  and 
give  him  wings  for  more  arduous  flights.  Second 
ly,  he  required  him  to  read  the  histories  of  England 
and  America  and  cognate  works  so  that  he  might 
see,  historically,  the  evolution  of  our  system  of  law. 
And,  thirdly,  he  required  of  him  a  most  careful 
study  of  those  text-books  of  the  law  which  were 
then  considered  necessary  in  order  to  admission  to 
practice.  These  studies  consumed  near  three  years 
and  were  under  the  eye  of  and  with  recitations  to 
the  preceptor.  The  progress  of  the  pupil  was 
great;  and  when  the  preceptor  is  learned  and  skill 
ed  and  the  pupil  brilliant,  we  must  measure  progress 
in  study  by  genius  and  not  by  time. 

In  1833  he  removed  to  Liberty,  Missouri, 
where  he  made  his  home  for  the  succeeding  thirty 
years. 

For  the  little  town  of  Liberty,  almost  a  ham 
let  then,  a  fortunate  circumstance  occurred.  In 
1827  the  post  of  Fort  Leaven  worth  was  established. 
At  that  post  there  always  had  been  a  greater  ac 
cumulation  of  troops  than  at  any  other  in  the 
Union.  Liberty  was  the  nearest  town  to  it.  To  re 
lieve  the  tedium  of  station  life  there  resorted  to 
Liberty  for  many  years  the  choice  and  prime  young 
officers  of  the  army — the  Rileys,  the  Kearneys,  the 
Sydney  Johnstons — who  were  from  time  to  time 
stationed  at  that  post.  The  wives  and  daughters 
of  officers  went  there  for  shopping  purposes.  The 
sons  of  officers  were  often  sent  to  Liberty  for  aca 
demic  education.  The  officers  of  the  Fort  and 
their  wives  and  daughters  were  almost  as  much  a 
part  of  the  social  life  of  the  town,  as  freely  united 
in  public  amusements,  balls,  parties  and  the  like,  as 
its  inhabitants  themselves.  From  the  union  of 


20        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

local  intellect  with  the  brilliance  of  the  army  the 
society  of  Liberty  became  exceptionally  charming 
and  elegant. 

Into  such  society  and  into  the  midst  of  such 
people  Col.  Doniphan  went  from  Lexington  in 
1833.  He  was  young,  ambitious,  highly  cultured, 
and  his  mind  expanded  with  ease  to  meet  the  mag 
nitude  of  each  new  occasion.  The  faculty  of 
ready,  powerful  and  tempestuous  speech,  the  flashes 
of  brilliant  thought,  had  come  to  him.  Already 
the  people  of  the  state  had  recognized  in  him  the 
orator. 

From  1830  to  1860  he  continued  in  the  active 
practice  of  his  profession.  His  fame  was  greatest 
as  a  criminal  lawyer,  and  during  that  period  there 
was  no  criminal  case  of  magnitude  in  northwest 
Missouri  in  which  he  was  not  retained  for  the  de 
fense.  He  never  prosecuted.  The  reputation  of 
a  great  advocate  usually  absorbs  that  of  the  coun 
sellor.  And  this  was  to  a  greater  degree,  perhaps, 
sixty  years  ago  than  now,  because  then  the  jury  was 
more  often  demanded.  He  was  employed  to  make 
the  great,  the  decisive,  argument  on  the  side  by 
which  he  was  retained.  No  client  would  think  for 
a  moment  of  excusing  him  from  speaking.  He  was 
employed  and  paid  to  speak — he  must  speak.  A 
silent  Doniphan  in  a  cause,  would  have  meant  de 
feat  anticipated.  As  a  natural  result  of  this,  the 
work  and  labor  of  the  cause,  the  preparation  of  the 
pleadings,  the  gathering  of  the  testimony,  the  inter 
rogation  of  the  witnesses,  etc.,  devolved  on  his 
associate  counsel.  Occasionally,  in  examining  wit 
nesses,  he  would  interject  some  far  reaching  ques 
tion.  In  the  councils  of  war  which  precede  great 
trials,  his  view  of  the  line  of  defence  or  attack  was 
always  adopted.  He  saw  by  a  flash  of  intuition  the 
strong  points. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        21 

Not  one  of  his  oratorical  efforts  as  a  criminal 
or  civil  lawyer  has  been  preserved.  Opinion, 
therefore,  of  their  power  and  splendor  can  only  be 
formed  from  old  tradition.  All  traditions  and 
opinions  concur  as  to  their  brevity,  wonderful  com 
pression,  vast  force  and  dazzeling  brilliance.  Two 
of  his  orations  in  criminal  defences,  may  be  recall 
ed  and  one  opinion  given  in  each.  They  are  that 
of  Thomas  Turnham,  indicted  in  Clay  Circuit 
Court,  Missouri,  for  the  murder  of  Hayes  and 
tried  in  November,  1844,  which  resulted  in  his  con 
viction  of  manslaughter  in  the  fourth  degree,  with 
a  fine  of  $100;  and  that  of  John  H.  Harper,  in 
dicted  in  the  Jackson  Circuit  Court  for  the  mur 
der  of  Meredith,  and  tried  in  Platte  Circuit  Court, 
Missouri,  in  November,  1847,  (whither  the  case 
had  been  taken  by  change  of  venue),  which  re 
sulted  in  Harper's  acquittal.  There  can  hardly  be 
a  doubt  that  Turnham's  case  was  one  of  murder. 
After  great  pressure,  he  was  admitted  to  bail  and 
his  bond  fixed  at  $8,000,  an  enormous  amount  in 
those  days.  Col.  Doniphan  was  constantly  afraid 
that  his  client  would  disappear.  The  prisoner's 
father,  the  late  Maj.  Joel  Turnham,  of  Clay  county, 
was  a  stern  old-fashioned  man,  "more  an  antique 
Roman  than  a  Dane,"  plainly  educated,  well  ad 
vised,  however,  as  to  all  current  events,  of  strong, 
penetrating  sense,  familiar  with  the  great  speakers 
of  Missouri  and  Kentucky,  possessed  with  a  will 
and  courage  of  adamant;  but  none  the  less,  not 
at  all  conscious  of  the  fact  that  his  was  the  only 
name  in  the  state  which  could  be  found  among  the 
paladins  of  Richard  Coeur  de  Leon  when  he  charged 
the  Paynim  hosts  on  the  plains  of  Palestine. 
Everything  melted  away  before  Col.  Doniphan's 
oratory.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  speech  Maj. 
Turnham  was  asked  what  he  thought  of  Doniphan's 


22        INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

speech,  and  his  answer  was :    "Sir,  Aleck  Doniphan 
spoke  only  forty  minutes,  but  he  said  everything." 

The  case  of  Harper  more  easily  admitted  of 
defense.  Meredith  had — 

Loved  not  wisely,  but  too  well. 

Harper  believed,  whether  with  or  without 
good  reasons,  that  Meredith  had  invaded  the  sanc 
tity  of  his  home.  Such  a  circumstance  in  the 
hands  of  a  genius  like  Col.  Doniphan's  was  suffi 
cient  to  enable  him  to  stir  to  the  uttermost  all  the 
passions  and  to  "call  spirits  from  the  vasty  deep. ' 
The  occasion  was  great.  He  had  only  returned  a 
few  months  before  from  his  wonderful  Mexican 
campaign,  and  the  whole  country  was  full  of  his 
glory.  Everybody — lawyers  and  all, — had  gath 
ered  in  Platte  City, — where  the  case  wras  tried, — 
to  hear  him,  and  expectation  of  his  eloquence  was 
on  tiptoe.  By  universal  agreement  he  even  sur 
passed  expectations.  James  N.  Burnes,  of  St. 
Joseph,  heard  it,  and  declared  that  it  determined  him 
to  become  a  lawyer.  He,  also,  declared  that  he 
never  heard  or  read  any  speech  in  defense  of  a 
criminal  which  equalled  Col.  Doniphan 's  in  that 
case. 

On  December  2ist,  1837,  Col.  Doniphan  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Jane  Thornton,  of 
Clay  County.  It  was  a  perfect  union  of  heart  and 
intellect.  She  was  a  highly  intellectual,  cultivated 
woman,  and  her  grace  in  manner  and  charm  in 
conversation  made  her  the  delight  of  society.  Save 
when  public  duty  of  business  imperatively  demanded 
it,  he  and  she  were  constantly  united.  At 
home  or  abroad  they  were  together.  He  knew 
and  loved  no  place  like  home,  neither  the  mys 
tery  of  lodges  nor  the  joviality  of  clubs  had  any 
power  to  draw  him  thence.  Heaven  withdrew  her 
from  him  in  1873,  but  it  was  decreed  that  he1 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        23 

should  remain  a  pilgrim  many  years  thereafter  be 
fore  he  felt  the  stroke  of  the  invisible  spector. 

Of  his  marriage  there  were  born  only  two 
children — both  sons.  They  were  youths  of  rare  in 
tellectual  promise,  and  their  father  might  well  hope 
to  prolong  his  life  and  fame  in  those  of  his  children. 
One  of  them  died  from  accidental  poison,  at  Lib 
erty  in  1853,  and  the  other  beneath  the  angry 
waves  of  a  West  Virginia  brook  in  1858.  From 
blows  so  severe  as  these,  it  can  be  well  understood 
why  the  life  of  Col.  Doniphan,  during  more  than 
thirty  years  before  its  close,  was  void  of  ambition. 

Of  the  Mormon  war  in  1838,  Col.  Doniphan 
was  present,  in  command  of  a  brigade  of  state  mi 
litia,  at  the  surrender  of  Joe  Smith,  the  so-called 
prophet,  at  Far  West  in  Caldwell  county,  and  af 
terwards  defended  him  in  the  criminal  proceedings 
which  were  instituted  against  him  and  other  Mor 
mons. 

In  1846  the  war  with  Mexico  began.  In  May 
of  that  year,  Governor  Edwards  requested  Col. 
Doniphan  to  assist  him  in  raising  troops,  in  the 
western  counties  of  the  state  of  Missouri  for  the 
volunteer  service.  He  acceded  to  the  request.  The 
enthusiasm  of  the  people  was  extremely  high,  and 
in  a  week  or  so,  the  eight  companies  of  men  had 
volunteered,  which  upon  organization  at  Fort 
Leaven  worth,  formed  the  famous  ist  Regiment  of 
Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers.  Col.  Doniphan 
volunteered  as  a  private  in  the  company  from  Clay 
county,  and  was  afterwards  elected  colonel  of  the 
regiment  almost  by  acclamation.  There  never  was 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States  a  regiment  of 
finer  material.  It  was  composed  of  individuals 
from  the  best  families  in  the  state,  and  they  were 
young  men  in  the  prime  of  life,  equal  physically 
and  mentally,  to  every  duty  of  the  soldier.  They 


24        INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

were,  mainly,  the  sons  of  pioneers  of  Missouri,  and 
had  the  courage  and  manliness,  and  possessed  the 
endurance  and  virtues  of  their  fathers.  This 
regiment  formed  a  portion  of  the  column  known 
as  the  Army  of  the  West,  commanded  by  that 
chivalric  soldier,  Gen.  Stephen  W.  Kearney.  All  of 
the  troops  of  the  column  rendezvoused  at  Fort 
Leavenworth.  The  volunteers  having  undergone 
a  few  weeks  of  drilling,  the  Army  of  the  West 
commenced  its  march  to  Santa  Fe  on  June  26, 
1846. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  express  in  words 
the  feelings,  apprehensions  and  hopes  of  the  peo 
ple  and  of  those  volunteers  when  Gen.  Kearney  s 
army  moved  to  the  conquest  of  northern  Mexico. 
.The  knowledge  then,  of  the  American  people,  of 
Mexico,  was  very  limited.  The  people  of 
Missouri  knew  more  than  any  others,  for  their 
traders,  at  least,  during  over  twenty  years  pre 
viously,  had  laboriously  tracked  and  retracked  the 
dangerous  trail  from  Independence  to  Santa  Fe, 
and  thence  to  Chihuahua.  The  geographies  of 
that  day — old  Onley  and  Mitchell — showed  little 
beyond  outlines  delineating  Mexico  and  the  coun 
tries  west  of  Missouri.  They  indicated,  however, 
very  clearly,  the  Great  American  Desert,  extending 
long  and  wide  between  Missouri  and  Mexico.  The 
regions  between  our  states  and  Mexico  were  Indian 
country,  and  dangerous,  and  those  beyond  were 
Indian  and  Mexican,  and  still  more  dangerous. 
The  volunteers  must  have  felt  that  every  mile  of 
their  march  would  reveal  surprises  and  wonders. 
And  we  may  liken  their  expectations  of  encounter 
ing  the  marvelous  to  that  of  Sir  Francis  Drake, 
when  three  hundred  years  ago,  he  weighed  his 
anchors  and  turned  the  prow  of  his  ship  toward  the 
South  Sea. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        25 

On  August  1 8,  1846,  Gen.  Kearney's  army  en 
tered  Santa  Fe  without  firing  a  gun.  In  Novem 
ber,  1846,  Col.  Doniphan,  with  his  regiment  was 
ordered  into  the  country  of  the  Navajo  Indians, 
on  the  western  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to 
overawe  or  chastise  them.  He  completed  this 
movement  with  great  celerity.  His  soldiers  toiled  in 
snow  3  feet  deep  on  the  crest  and  eastern  slope 
of  the  mountains.  Having  accomplished  the  ob 
ject  of  the  expedition,  concluding  a  satisfactory 
treaty  with  the  Indians,  he  returned  to  the  Rio  del 
Norte,  and,  on  the  banks  of  that  stream,  collected 
and  refreshed  his  men,  preparatory  to  effecting 
what  was  then  intended  to  be  a  junction  with  Gen. 
Wool..  He  was  then  reinforced  by  two  batteries 
of  light  artillery.  In  December,  1846,  he  turned 
the  faces  of  his  little  column  to  the  south  and  put 
it  in  motion  toward  Chihuahua.  In  quick  succes 
sion  following  his  brilliant  and  decisive  victories 
at  Bracito  and  Sacramento,  the  capture  of  Chihua 
hua,  the  plunge  of  his  little  army  into  the  unknown 
country  between  Chihuahua  and  Saltillo,  and  its 
emergence  in  triumph  at  the  latter  city. 

After  his  arrival  at  Saltillo,  inasmuch  as  the 
period  of  enlistment  of  his  men  would  soon  expire, 
his  regiment  was  ordered  home.  Its  march  there 
fore  was  continued  to  Matamoras,  where  it  took 
shipment  to  New  Orleans.  The  men  of  the  re 
giment  having  been  discharged  at  New  Orleans, 
arrived  at  home  about  July  ist,  1847.  The  march 
of  this  regiment  from  Fort  Leavenworth  to  Santa 
Fe,  Chihuahua,  Saltillo,  and  Matamoras — a  dis 
tance  of  nearly  3,600  miles — is  called  Doniphan's 
Expedition. 

In  January,  1861,  he  was  appointed  a  mem 
ber  of  the  peace  conference,  which  assembled  at 
Washington  with  a  view  to  prevention  of  civil  war. 


26        INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

During  his  absence  in  attendance  on  that  body,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  convention 
called  by  the  legislature,  January  2ist,  1861.  In 
the  convention  he  maintained  the  position  of  a  con 
servative  union  man,  and  did  not  let  himself  lose 
sight  of  the  supremacy  of  the  constitution  or  the 
reserved  rights  of  the  states.  In  1863, — during  the 
heat  of  the  civil  war, — he  removed  from  Liberty 
to  St.  Louis.  Family  reasons  compelling,  in  1868, 
he  removed  from  St.  Louis  to  Richmond,  Mo., 
and  resided  at  the  latter  place  until  his  death. 

The  oratory  of  Col.  Doniphan  at  the  bar  con 
stitutes  only  a  part  of  the  basis  of  his  fame  as  an 
orator.  From  his  immigration  to  Missouri  until 
the  close  of  1860,  in  every  canvass  he  responded  to 
the  wishes  of  the  political  party  to  which  he  was 
attached,  and  on  the  hustings  in  various  parts  of  the 
state;  he  advocated  and  defended  his  party's  prin 
ciples  in  addresses  of  surprising  logic  and  flaming 
eloquence.  Enormous  crowds  met  him  wherever  he 
spoke,  and  the  people  were  never  weary  of  listening 
to  his  accents.  And  this  was  not  all.  His  ad 
dresses  on  various  public  occasions,  educational 
social  and  patriotic,  from  his  arrival  in  the  state 
until  1872,  were  numerous.  And  yet  of  all  his 
magnificent  orations,  so  far  as  known,  but  two  re 
main  complete,  and  they  were  delivered  on  occa 
sions  social  or  festive.  In  so  far  as  the  record  of 
time — the  gravings  of  history  and  legislative  pro 
ceedings — extend,  his  name  is  secure.  But  what 
of  the  power  and  magnificence  of  his  oratory?  It 
rests  only  in  tradition. 

It  must  always  be  a  matter  of  regret  that  not 
only  in  equal  degree  are  the  efforts  of  genius  trans 
mitted  to  after  times.  The  mighty  historians  and 
poets  are  secure  in  their  immortality.  Homer, 
Virgil,  Milton,  Thucydides,  Tacitus,  Gibbon,  will 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        27 

always  be  read.  The  great  Greek  historian,  in  60 
pages  of  moderate  size,  sketched  the  Athenian  ex 
pedition  against  Syracuse,  the  embarkation,  the 
passage  of  the  sea,  debarkation,  the  beleaguering 
of  the  city,  the  assault,  the  repulse,  the  retreat,  the 
overthrow  and  capture,  with  an  amazing  clearness 
and  power  which  have  made  his  place  in  the  temple 
of  fame  as  stable  as  the  world  itself.  The  sculptor 
secure  in  his  marble,  may  reasonably  hope  that  the 
visions  of  loveliness  or  majesty,  born  of  the  brain, 
may  transmit  his  name  some  thousands  of  years. 
Even  the  painter  is  assured  that  the  divine  concep 
tions  which  he  has  limned  may  be  admired  and 
judged  by  the  eye — and  his  name  repeated — for  a 
few  centuries  after  he  has  passed  away. 

In  the  absence  of  mental  efforts  preserved — 
which  can  be  studied  and  meditated — in  order  to  a 
proper  measurement  of  the  intellect  of  Alexander 
W.  Doniphan.  and  due  appreciation  of  his  genius 
some  one  is  needed  who  was  familiar  with  him  in 
his  prime,  that  is  to  say  from  1835  to  1855,  and 
who  was  himself  of  matured  mind  during  that 
period. 

Great  men  only  appear  after  long  intervals. 
Eight  centuries  prior  to  the  Saviour  of  men,  the 
mightiest  poet  of  the  antique  world  sang  the  tale 
of  Troy;  more  than  seven  centuries  elapsed  before 
the  Mantuan  bard  sang  of  Aeneas ;  and  sixteen 
centuries  more  rolled  away  before  time  was  prepar 
ed  for  Shakespeare.  Three  hundred  years  inter 
vened  between  the  great  Macedonian  conqueror 
and  imperial  Caesar;  and  eighteen  hundred  be 
tween  Caesar  and  Napoleon.  Between  Thucydi- 
des  and  Tacitus  are  near  five  hundred,  and  be 
tween  Tacitus  and  Gibbon,  near  seventeen  hundred 
years.  From  Demonthenes  to  Cicero  were  three 
hundred  years,  and  from  Cicero  to  the  majestic 


28        INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

line  of  Chatham,  Sheridan,  Burke,  Fox,  Clay, 
Webster,  Calhoun  and  Doniphan  were  eighteen 
hundred  years. 

The  genius  of  Col.  Doniphan  can  only  be  esti 
mated,  in  all  its  height,  depth,  breadth  and  splen 
dor,  by  one  who  had  known  him  in  his  prime,  and 
under  all  circumstances  and  conditions.  He  must 
have  known  him  in  the  field  of  Sacramento,  when, 
six  hundred  miles  in  the  enemy's  country,  he  led 
his  little  army  of  Missourians  to  the  assault  of 
works  manned  by  four  times  their  number;  when, 
in  the  defense  of  some  prisoner,  charged  with  the 
greatest  offense  known  to  the  law,  in  order  to  suc 
ceed,  he  called  into  action  all  of  his  intellectual 
powers,  and  thundered  and  lightninged  in  adressing 
the  jury;  when,  before  a  great  audience  of  his 
fellow-citizens,  assembled  to  hear  him  on  some  mo 
mentous  occasion,  he  brought  into  play  the  whole 
range  of  his  stores  of  thought,  sentiment,  eloquence 
and  wit,  transported  his  auditors  from  grave  to 
gay,  from  tears  to  mirth,  with  a  certain  divine 
ease  and  rapidity,  and  molded  their  opinions  and 
hearts  to  his  will  with  a  thoroughness  only  possi 
ble  to  the  greatest  orator ;  and  when,  the  cares  of 
the  forum  and  politics  laid  aside,  at  his  own  or  a 
friend's  fireside,  or,  beneath  the  spreading 
branches  of  some  monarch  of  the  forest,  he  re 
laxed  his  gigantic  intellect  to  the  needs  and  uses 
of  social  converse,  and  charmed  all  listeners  with 
a  flow  of  wisdom,  humor,  anecdote — strong,  yet 
airy  and  graceful — so  rich,  so  varied,  so  flashing, 
that  it  would  have  made  the  literary  fortune  of  a 
dozen  writers. 

It  is  and  has  been  the  clear  opinion  of  all  who 
have  known  him  well,  that,  in  all  the  qualities  of  the 
loftiest  intellect, — breadth  of  vision,  foresight  which 
could  farthest  in  advance  discern  matters  that 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        29 

would  come  to  .  pass,  intuitive  percention,  rapidly 
of  determination,  sharp  analysis,  precision  of  judg 
ment,  corroding  logic,  subtilty  of  thought,  richness 
and  variety  of  fancy,  aptness  of  illustration,  pow 
erful  and  unfailing  memory,  compression  of  words, 
ease  in  mental  action,  and  intense,  nervous,  crys 
talline  and  electrical  language, — indeed  in  all  the 
elements  of  genius, — he  has  never  had  a  superior 
in  America.  The  opinion  is  accentuated  by  that  of 
a  man  well  able  to  judge  and  whose  opportunities 
to  form  a  safe  judgment,  were  better  than  those 
of  any  man  living  or  dead.  Gen.  Atchison  was  a 
man  of  education,  of  strong,  judicial  intellect, 
trained  thought,  had  been  senator  from  Missouri 
from  1843  to  l&55>  ancl  ms  observation  of  and  ex 
perience  among  men  had  been  of  the  largest.  A 
few  years  prior  to  his  and  Col.  Doniphan's  death, 
he  said :  "I  was  familiar  with  the  city  of  Wash 
ington  in  my  early  manhood.  I  knew  all  the 
great  men  of  our  country  in  earlier  days — Clay, 
Webster,  Calhoun,  John  Quincy  Adams,  Clayton, 
Crittenden  and  others.  I  have  presided  in  the 
United  States  Senate  when  Clay,  Webster,  and 
Calhoun  sat  before  me.  I  knew  Aleck  Doniphan 
familiarly,  intimately,  since  1830,  and  I  tell  you  sir, 
when  he  was  in  his  prime,  I  heard  him  climb  high 
er  than  any  of  them/' 

His  personal  appearance  was  truly  imposing 
and  magnificent.  His  was  the  grandest  type  of 
manly  beauty.  A  stranger  would  not  have  failed 
to  instantly  note  his  presence  in  any  assemblage. 
In  height,  he  was  six  feet  and  four  inches.  His 
frame  was  proportioned  to  his  height,  and  was  full 
without  the  appearance  of  obesity.  His  face  ap 
proached  the  Grecian  ideal  very  closely,  the  essen 
tial  variance  being  the  nose,  which  was  aquiline 
without  severity.  His  forehead  was  high,  full  and 


30        INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

square;  his  eyes  of  the  brightest  hazel;  and  his 
lips  symmetrical  and  smiling.  When  young,  his 
complexion  was  extremely  fair  and  delicate,  and 
his  hair  sandy. 

At  the  peace  conference  in  1861,  when  intro 
duced  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  the  latter  said  to  him :  "And 
this  is  the  Col.  Doniphan  who  made  the  wild  march 
against  the  Comanches  and  Mexicans.  You  are 
the  only  man  I  ever  met  who,  in  appearance,  came 
up  to  my  previous  expectations." 

Col.  Doniphan  died  at  Richmond,  Missouri, 
August  8th,  1887,  and  was  buried  at  Liberty,  Mis 
souri,  with  his  wife  and  sons. 

He  united  with  the  Christian  Church  in  1859, 
and  died  in  its  faith. 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        31 


Doniphan's  Great  March. 


Before  beginning  a  brief  outline  of  the  wonder 
ful  march  made  by  Colonel  Doniphan  and  his  men* 
we  beg  leave  to  remind  the  reader  that  we  are  tell 
ing  of  the  happenings  of  more  than  half  a  century 
ago.  At  that  time  the  old  flint-lock  weapons  were 
in  use.  At  that  period  there  were  no  telegraphs 
over  which  to  flash  the  news,  and  the  only  means  of 
communication  was  by  couriers  and  the  mails,  and 
as  the  iron  horse  was  not  available  travel  was 
necessarily  slow. 

There  is  No  Comparison. 

Nowhere  does  history  record  a  comparison 
with  the  march  of  Doniphan.  The  expedition  of 
Cyrus  against  his  brother,  Artaxerxes,  and  the  re 
treat  of  the  ten-thousand  Greeks,  conducted  by 
Xenophon  and  Cherisopus,  forms  the  only  account 
in  history  that  is  nearly  a  parallel.  In  fifteen  months 
Cyrus  and  Xenophon  conducted  that  expedition 
about  3,450  miles,  with  the  loss  of  several  thousand 
men,  and  finally  returned  to  Greece  with  naught  save 
their  lives  and  arms;  but  in  thirteen  months  Doni 
phan  and  his  men  marched  5,550  miles,  and  return 
ed  decorated  with  the  trophies  of  war,  and  meeting 
the  hearty  approval  of  their  countrymen. 


32        INCIDENTS    OF  THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Doniphan  and  his  men  scaled  the  granite 
i  heights  of  the  Cordilleras,  amid"  fathoms  of  accumu 
lated  and  eternal  snows,  in  the  depths  of  winter, 
and  after  a  campaign  of  three  months  and  seven- 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  against  the  Navajo  Indians, 
they  began  their  grand  march  upon  Chihuahua,  and 
both  the  capital  and  the  state,  with  two-hundred 
thousands  inhabitants,  became  a  conquest  to  less  than 
a  thousand  brave  Americans. 


The  March  to  Santa  Fe. 

In  May,  1846,  Governor  Edwards,  of  Missouri, 
requested  Col.  Doniphan,  to  assist  in  raising  troops 
in  the  western  part  of  the  state  to  engage  in  the  war 
with  Mexico.  He  assented  and  in  a  short  time 
eight  companies  of  men  had  volunteered,  and  organ 
ized  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  forming  the  First  Regi 
ment  of  Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers.  Col.  Doni 
phan  volunteered  in  a  company  from  Clay  county, 
as  a  private,  but  was  afterwards  elected  Colonel  of 
the  regiment.  The  author  of  this  work  was  a  mem 
ber  of  Company  B.,  from  Layfayette  county,  Capt. 
William  Walton. 

A  writer  of  recent  date  in  speaking  of  this 
regiment,  says :  "There  never  was  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States  a  regiment  of  finer  material.  It 
was  composed  of  the  best  families  of  the  state,  and 
they  were  young  men  in  the  prime  of  life,  equal, 
physically  and  mentally,  to  every  duty  of  the  sol 
dier."  This  regiment  formed  a  portion  of  the  col 
umn  known  as  the  "Army  of  the  West,"  commanded 
by  General  Stephen  W.  Kearney.  All  the  troops  of 
the  column  rendezvoused  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  and 
after  the  volunteers  had  undergone  a  few  weeks 
drilling,  the  Army  of  the  West  commenced  its  march 
to  Santa  Fe,  June  26,  1846. 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        33 

The  march  of  the  "Army  of  the  West,"  as  it 
entered  upon  the  great  prairies,  presented  a  scene 
of  the  most  intense  and  thrilling  interest.  Such  a 
scene  was  indeed  worthy  of  the  pencil  of  the  ablest 
artist,  or  the  most  graphic  pen  of  the  historian. 
The  boundless  plains,  lying  in  ridges  of  wavy  green 
and  not  unlike  the  ocean,  seemed  to  unite  with  the 
heavens  in  the  distant  horizon.  As  far  as  vision 
could  penetrate,  the  long  files  of  cavalry,  the  gay 
fluttering  of  banners,  and  the  canvas-covered  wagons 
of  the  merchant's  train  glistening  like  banks  of  snow 
in  the  distance,  might  be  seen  winding  their  tortuous 
way  over  the  undulating  surface  of  the  prairies.  In 
thus  witnessing  the  march  of  an  army  over  the 
regions  of  uncultivated  nature,  which  had  hitherto 
been  the  hunting  ground  of  the  wild  savage,  and 
where  the  eagle  and  the  stars  and  stripes  never  be 
fore  greeted  the  breezes,  the  heart  could  but  swell 
with  sentiments  of  honest  pride,  mingled  with  the 
most  lively  emotions.  For  the  first  time  since  the 
creation,  the  starred  and  striped  banner  of  a  free 
people  was  being  born  over  almost  one-thousand 
miles  of  trackless  waste,  and  the  principles  of  repub 
licanism  and  civil  liberty  were  about  to  be  pro 
claimed  to  a  nation  fast  sinking  in  slavery's  arms ; 
and  fast  closing  her  eyes  upon  the  last  expiring 
lights  of  religion,  science  and  liberty. 

There  were  many  obstacles  which  impeded  the 
progress  of  the  army.  There  was  no  road  not 
even  a  path  leading  from  Fort  Leavenworth  intg> 
the  regular  Santa  Fe  trail.  The  army  therefore 
steered  its  course  southwesterly  with  the  view  of 
intersecting  the  main  Santa  Fe  trail,  at  or  near 
the  Narrows,  sixty-five  miles  west  of  Independence. 
In  accomplishing  this,  many  deep  ravines,  and 
creeks  with  high  and  rugged  banks,  were  to  be  en 
countered.  The  banks  had  to  be  dug  down,  the 


34        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

asperites  leveled,  bridges  built,  and  roads  construct 
ed  before  the  wagons  could  pass.  All  this  required 
time  and  labor.  The  heat  was  often  excessive;  the 
grass  was  tall  and  rank,  and  the  earth  in  many 
places  so  soft  that  the  heavily  loaded  wagons  would 
sink  almost  up  to  the  axle  upon  the  level  prairie, — 
The  men  were  frequently  compelled  to  dismount 
and  drag  them  from  the  mire  with  their  hands. 
The  mules  and  other  animals  being  mostly  unused 
to  the  harness,  often  became  refractory  and  balky. 
Numbers  of  wagons  daily  broke  down.  Time  was 
required  to  make  repairs.  Hence  the  march  was  of 
necessity,  both  slow  and  tedious. 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  observe,  that  for  the 
sake  of  convenience  in  procuring  supplies  of  fuel 
and  water,  which  could  only  be  obtained  at  certain 
points,  in  crossing  the  Great  Plains,  Col.  Kearney 
very  prudently  adopted  the  plan  of  conducting  the 
march  by  separate  detachments.  These  detach 
ments  (for  convenience  in  traveling)  generally  con 
sisted  in  a  squadron  of  two  or  three  companies,  or 
of  an  entire  battalion.  The  companies  of  volunteers 
were  generally  composed  of  114  men  each,  includ 
ing  commissioned  officers.  Thus  the  march  was 
chiefly  conducted  to  the  border  of  New  Mexico, 
or  the  boundry  line  which  separates  between  Mex 
ico  and  the  United  States. 

Col.  Doniphan  and  Maj.  Gilpin,  with  the  second 
battalion,  and  Col  Kearney,  with  the  battalion  of 
artillery,  the  corps  of  field  and  topographical  engi 
neers,  and  a  small  squadron  of  volunteers  and  dra 
goons,  followed  closely  in  the  rear. 

At  the  outset  of  the  expedition  many  laugh 
able  scenes  took  place.  The  horses  were  generally 
dild,fiery,  and  ungovernable;  wholly  unused  to 
military  trappings  and  equipments.  Amid  the  flut 
tering  of  banners,  the  sounding  of  bugles,  the  rat- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR.        35 

tling  of  artillery,  the  clattering  of  sabres,  and 
cooking  utensils,  some  of  the  horses  took  fright 
and  scampered,  pellmell,  with  rider  and  arms,  over 
the  wide  prairie.  Riders,  arms  and  accoutrements, 
saddles,  saddle-bags,  tin-cups  and  coffee-pots,  were 
sometimes  left  far  behind  in  the  chase.  No  very 
serious  or  fatal  accident,  however,  occurred  from 
this  cause.  All  was  right  again  as  soon  as  the  af 
frighted  animals  were  recovered. 


The  Personnel  of  the  Army.. 

The  "Army  of  the  West/'  was,  perhaps,  com 
posed  of  as  fine  material  as  any  other  body  of  troops 
then  in  the  field.  The  volunteer  corps  consisted 
almost  entirely  of  the  young  men  of  the  country; 
generally  of  the  very  first  families  of  the  State.  All 
parties  were  united  in  one  common  cause  for  the 
vindication  of  the  national  honor.  Every  calling 
and  profession  contributed  its  share.  There  might 
be  seen  under  arms,  in  the  ranks,  the  lawyer,  the 
doctor,  the  professor,  the  student,  the  legislator, 
the  farmer,  the  mechanic,  the  artisans  of  every  de 
scription,  all  united  as  a  band  of  brothers  to  defend 
the  rights  and  the  honor  of  their  country ;  to  redress 
her  wrongs  and  avenge  her  insults.  This  blooming 
host  of  young  life,  the  elite  of  Missouri,  was  full  of 
ardor,  full  of  spirit,  full  of  generous  enthusiasm, 
burning  for  the  battle  field,  and  panting  for  the  re 
ward  of  honorable  victory.  They  were  prompted 
to  this  gallant  discharge  of  duty,  and  prepared  to 
breast  every  storm  of  adversity,  by  the  remem 
brance  of  the  dear  pledges  of  affection  they  left  be 
hind  them. 


36        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

At  last  the  Santa  Fe  trail  was  reached,  and  at 
the  break  of  day,  July  2nd,  reveille  was  sound 
ed  and  the  army  was  on  the  march  ere  the  first 
beams  of  the  morning  sun  had  kissed  the  glittering 
dew  drops  from  the  prarie  grass,  bearing  aloft  their 
streaming  flags  floating  to  the  breezes,  with  their 
"broad  stripes  and  their  bright  stars."  As  the 
troops  moved  off  majestically  over  the  green  prarie, 
they  presented  a  martial  and  animating  sight.  The 
long  lines  stretched  over  miles  of  level  plain,  or 
wound  serpentinely  over  the  beautifully  undulating 
hills,  with  guns  and  sabres  glittering  in  the  sheen 
of  the  rising  sun,  while  the  great  American  eagle 
seemed  to  spread  his  broad  pinions,  and  to  the  west 
ward  bear  the  principles  of  liberty. 


A  Strange  Story. 

The  following  interesting  phenomenon  was  re 
lated  to  the  author  by  one  who  declared  he  was  an 
eye  witness  of  the  fact,  and  that  twenty-eight  others 
would  testify  to  the  truth  of  his  declaration. 
"Early  in  the  spring  of  1846,  before  it  was  known, 
or  even  conjectured,  that  a  state  of  war  would  be 
declared  to  exist  between  this  Government  and 
Mexico,  twenty-nine  traders,  on  their  way  from 
Santa  Fe  to  Independence,  beheld,  just  after  a 
storm,  and  a  little  before  sun-set,  a  perfectly  distinct 
image  of  the  "bird  of  liberty,"  the  American  eagle, 
on  the  disc  of  the  sun.  When  they  beheld  the  in 
teresting  sight,  they  simultaneously,  and  almost  in 
voluntarily  exclaimed  that  in  less  than  twelve  months 
the  eagle  of  liberty  would  spread  his  broad  pinions 
over  the  plains  of  the  west,  and  that  the  flag  of  our 
country  would  wave  over  the  cities  of  New  Mexico 
and  Chihuahua."  The  prediction  was  literally  and 
strikingly  verified,  although  the  story  is,  doubtless, 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        37 

more  beautiful,  than  true.  Quite  as  much  credit 
is  due  to  it,  as  to  the  wonderful  story  about  the 
chariots  of  fire,  which  the  Romans  are  said  to  have 
seen  in  the  heavens  after  the  assassination  of  Caesar 
by  Brutus  and  Cassius  of  the  Roman  senate. 

On  the  plains  the  horses  were  the  object  of  the 
most  special  attention.  Whoever  was  so  unfortu 
nate  as  to  lose  his  charger,  was  necessitated  to  con 
tinue  the  march  on  foot,  or  drive  a  wagon,  both  were 
unpleasant  to  the  volunteer  soilder,  to  say  noth 
ing  of  the  chagrin  of  losing  his  place  in  his  company 
as  a  cavalier.  The  horses  were  therefore  secured 
with  all  possible  care  at  night,  to  guard  against 
escape.  Great  prudence  was  also  necessary  in 
riding  cautiously,  and  grazing  carefully,  to  prevent 
the  stock  from  failing  on  the  road.  Chasing  deer, 
antelope,  and  buffalo  on  the  plain  will  ruin  a  horse 
and  speedily  unfit  him  for  military  service.  When 
a  soldier,  by  ill  luck  happened  to  lose  his  horse,  he 
would  purchase  another  at  almost  any  cost,  if  there 
chanced  to  be  a  surplus  one  in  camp.  His  situation 
enabled  him  fully  to  appreciate  the  force  of  the  ex 
pression  which  Shakspeare  puts  into  the  mouth  of 
King  Richard,  "A  Kingdom  for  a  horse!"  No 
wonder  then  that  Alexander  wept  when  Bucep 
halus  died. 

Our  march  continued  with  but  little  worthy  of 
note  until  on  July  29th,  at  which  time  we  met  Fitz- 
patrick,  a  mountaineer,  on  express  from  Fort  Bent 
to  Col.  Kearney,  with  the  following  information 
from  Santa  Fe;  "That  Governor  Armijo  had  called 
the  chief  men  of  counsel  together  to  deliberate  on 
the  best  means  of  defending  the  city  of  Santa  Fe; 
that  hostile  preparations  were  rapidly  going  on  in 
all  parts  of  New  Mexico,  and  Col.  Kearney's  move 
ments  were  to  be  vigorously  opposed."  Three 
Mexicans  were  taken  prisoners  near  Fort  Bent,  sup- 


38        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

posed  to  be  spies,  with  blank  letters  upon  their  per 
son  addressed  to  Col.  Kearney.  This  piece  of  in 
genuity  was  resorted  to,  no  doubt  to  avoid  detection 
by  American  residents  and  traders  at  Bent's  Fort. 
These  Mexicans  were  conducted,  by  order  of  Col. 
Kearney,  through  our  camp  and  shown  our  artillery, 
then  peaceably  allowed  to  retire  to  Santa  Fe,  and 
report  what  they  had  seen. 

The  future  was  pregnant  with  consequences  of 
the  greatest  moment.  An  uncertain  destiny  awaited 
us.  Some  anticipated  victory ;  others  apprehended 
disaster.  Twenty  days  were  to  determine  our  fate. 
We  were  already  encamped  in  the  enemy's  territory. 
Were  we  to  be  defeated  and  completely  overthrown, 
or  were  we  to  enter  triumphantly  into  the  capital 
and  plant  the  flag  of  our  country  on  its  adobe  walls  ? 
These  were  questions  in  the  minds  of  all,  which  time 
alone  could  solve. 


THE  AMERICAN  SAHARA. 

We  finally  reached  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Bent, 
and  after  a  rest  of  three  days,  on  August  2nd,  we 
resumed  our  march  following  the  course  of  the 
river  some  twenty-four  miles,  at  which  point  we 
pitched  our  tents  on  a  perfectly  bare  sand-beach, 
with  scarcely  a  spear  of  grass  or  a  shrub  for  our 
famishing  animals.  The  gale  from  the  inhospitable 
desert  on  the  south,  over  which  we  were  to  resume 
our  march  the  next  day,  furiously  drove  the  sand, 
like  pelting  hail,  upon  us.  After  spending  a  com 
fortless  night,  on  the  morning  of  the  3rd,  we  struck 
off  at  right  angles  with  the  river.  The  army  was  now 
upon  the  Great  American  Desert.  The  wind  and 
driven  sand  continued  to  annoy  both  man  and  beast. 
The  parched  earth  appeared  as  though  it  had  not 
been  refreshed  by  a  shower  since  the  day  of  Noah's 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        39 

flood.  The  wagons  moved  heavily,  the  wheels  uni 
formly  sinking  over  the  felloes  in  the  sand  or  pul 
verized  earth.  A  toilsome  march  of  twenty-five 
miles  brought  us  to  our  camp,  on  a  bare  sand  bank, 
totally  destitute  of  green  grass  or  other  vegetation 
for  our  animals.  The  water  was  scarce,  muddy, 
bitter,  filthy,  and  just  such  as  Horace  in  his  Brundu- 
sium  letter  pronounced  "vilissima  rerum." 

The  American  desert,  is,  perhaps,  not  less 
sterile,  sandy,  parched  and  destitute  of  water  and 
every  green  herb  and  living  thing  than  the  African 
Sahara.  In  the  course  of  a  long  day's  march  we 
could  scarcely  find  a  pool  of  water  to  quench  the 
thirst,  a  patch  of  grass  to  prevent  our  animals  per 
ishing,  or  an  oasis  to  relieve  the  weary  mind. 
Dreary,  sultry,  desolate,  boundless  solitude  reigned 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  seemed  to  bound 
the  distant  horizon.  We  suffered  much  with  the 
heat,  and  thirst,  and  the  driven  sand — which  filled 
our  eyes,  and  nostrils,  and  mouths,  almost  to  suffo 
cation.  Many  of  our  animals  perished  on  the  de 
sert.  A  Mexican  hare,  or  an  antelope,  skimming 
over  the  ground  with  the  utmost  velocity,  was  the 
only  living  creature  seen  upon  the  plain.  The  Ro 
man  army  under  Metellus,  on  its  march  througn 
the  desert  of  Africa,  never  encountered  more  ser 
ious  opposition  from  the  elements  than  did  our  army 
in  its  passage  over  this  American  Sahara. 

The  march  was  continued  on  the  4th  with 
little  or  no  alteration.  The  wind  still  drove  the  sand 
furiously  in  our  faces;  the  heat  was  oppressive; 
and  the  sand  was  deep  and  heavy.  After  a  progress 
of  twenty-seven  miles  we  again  encamped  on  the 
vile,  filthy  Timpa,  the  water  of  which  was  still  bitter 
and  nauseating.  Our  animals  perished  daily. 

Vigorously  pushing  forward  on  the  5th,  having 
made  twenty-eight  miles  during  the  day,  we  passed 


40        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

out  of  the  desert,  crossed  the  river  Purgatoire,  and 
encamped  on  its  southern  bank.  This  lovely,  clear, 
cool,  rippling  mountain  stream  was  not  less  grateful 
to  our  army,  after  four  day's  unparalleled  marching 
on  the  desert,  than  was  that  stream  to  the  Israelitish 
army,  whioh  gushed  from  the  rock  when  struck  by 
the  rod  of  the  prophet.  The  lofty  Cimarron  and 
Spanish  peaks  were  distinctly  visible  to  the  south, 
and  west,  towering  in  awful  grandeur  far  above 
the  clouds,  their  summits  capped  with  eternal  snow. 


Wise  Use  of  Prisoners. 

We  marched  on,  crossing  the  Cimarron  Ridge 
of  mountains,  which  difficult  task  caused  great  fa 
tigue,  and  finally  encamped,  August  16,  on  the 
Pecos,  near  San  Jose.  That  night  a  number  of 
Mexican  soldiers  were  captured.  On  the  morning 
of  the  1 7th,  these  prisoners  were,  by  order  of  Gen. 
Kearney,  conducted  through  our  camps  and  shown 
our  cannon.  They  were  then  suffered  to  depart, 
and  tell  their  own  people  what  they  had  seen. 
To  color  and  exaggerate  accounts  is  a  truly  Mex 
ican  characteristic.  They  therefore  returned  to 
their  comrades  in  arms,  representing  our  number 
as  5,000,  and  declaring  that  we  had  so  many  pieces 
of  cannon  that  they  could  not  count  them.  This 
highly  colored  account  of  our  strength,  no  doubt 
spread  dismay  through  their  ranks,  and  increased 
the  desertions  from  Armijo's  standard,  which  were 
already  going  on  to  an  extent  well  calculated  to 
alarm  him. 


Mexico  as  it  Was. 

Fifty  years  ago  Gold  was  the  god  of  the  Mex 
icans.     They  had  no  motives  but  those  of  profit; 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        41 

no  springs  of  action  but  those  of  self  love;  no  de 
sires  but  those  of  gain;  and  no  restraints  but  those 
of  force.  The  eternal  jingle  of  cash  was  music  to 
their  ears.  Virtue,  honesty,  honor,  piety,  religion, 
patriotism,  generosity,  and  reputation,  were  to  them 
pompous  and  unmeaning  terms ;  and  he  whose  con 
duct  was  shaped  by  principles  of  fair  dealing,  was 
regarded  as  incomparably  stupid.  Vice,  fraud,  de 
ceit,  treachery,  theft,  plunder,  murder  and  assass 
ination,  stalked  abroad  in  open  daylight,  and  set 
order,  law  and  justice  at  defiance.  The  virtue  of 
females  was  bought  and  sold.  Such  was  the  mor 
al  and  social  system  in  Mexico,  a  half-century  ago. 


42        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


Capture  of  Santa  Fe. 


When  Gov.  Don  Manuel  Armijo  learned  more 
certainly  that  we  were  approaching  Santa  Fe,  the 
capital  of  New  Mexico  and  seat  of  his  official  re 
sidence,  he  assembled  by  proclamation,  seven 
thousand  troops,  two  thousand  of  whom  were  well 
armed,  and  the  rest  more  indifferently  armed,  and 
marched  them  out  to  meet  us  at  the  Canon,  or  Pass 
of  the  Galisteo,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Santa  Fe, 
intending  there  to  give  us  battle.  He  had  written 
a  note  to  Gen.  Kearney  the  day  previous,  stating 
that  he  would  meet  him  somewhere  that  day,  or 
the  day  following.  The  letter  was  very  politely 
dictated,  and  so  ambiguous  in  its  expression  that  it 
was  impossible  to  know  whether  it  was  the  Gover 
nor's  intention  to  meet  Gen.  Kearney  in  council  or 
in  conflict.  The  General,  however,  hastened  on, 
and  arrived  at  the  Canon  about  noon  on  the  i8th, 
with  his  whole  army  in  battle  array.  Here,  again, 
no  enemy  appeared  to  dispute  our  passage.  The 
Mexicans  had  dispersed  and  fled  to  the  mountains. 
This  Canon  is  nothing  more  than  a  deep  fissure,  or 
chasm,  through  the  ridge  of  the  mountains  which 
divides  the  waters  of  the  Pecos  from  those  of  tKe 
Rio  del  Norte.  Here  the  Mexicans  had  commenced 
fortifying  against  our  approach,  by  chopping  away 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR.        43 

the  limber  so  their  artillery  could  play  to  better  ad 
vantage  upon  our  lines,  and  throwing  up  temporary 
breast- works ;  but  they  lacked  either  courage  or  una 
nimity  to  defend  a  position  apparently  so  well 
chosen. 

It  is  stated  upon  good  authority  tha  Gov.  Arm- 
ijo,  Gen.  Salezar,  and  other  generals  in  the  Mexican 
army,  disputed  for  the  supreme  command,  and  that 
the  common  people  being  peaceably  disposed  to 
wards  the  Americans,  readily  seized  upon  the  dis 
sensions  of  their  leaders  as  a  pretext  for  abandoning 
the  army.  Thus  Gov.  Armijo  was  left  without  sol 
diers  to  defend  the  Pass.  However  this  may  be, 
one  thing  is  certain,  that  an  army  of  nearly  seven 
thousand  Mexicans,  with  six  pieces  of  artillery, 
and"  vastly  the  advantage  of  the  ground,  permitted 
General  Kearney,  with  his  less  than  two  thousand 
Americans,  to  pass  through  the  narrow  defile  and 
march  right  on  to  the  capital  of  the  state. 

Thus  on  August  i8th,  1846,  after  a  weary 
march  of  nearly  one-thousand  miles,  in  less  than 
fifty  days,  General  Kearney,  with  his  whole  com 
mand,  entered  Santa  Fe,  the  capital  of  the  prov 
ince  of  New  Mexico,  and  took  peaceable  posession 
of  the  country,  in  the  name  of  the  United  States, 
without  the  loss  of  a  single  man  or  the  shedding  of 
one  drop  of  blood. 


GEN.  KEARNEY'S  ADDRESS. 

On  the  morning  of  August  iQth,  General  Kear 
ney  assembled  the  citizens  of  the  town,  near  the 
goverment  building,  and  through  an  interpreter 
addressed  them  as  follows : 

"New  Mexicans,  we  have  come  amongst  you 
to  take  possession  of  New  Mexico,  which  we  do 
in  the  name  of  the  government  of  the  United  States. 


44        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR. 

We  have  come  with  peaceable  intentions  and  kind 
feeling  toward  you  all.  We  come  as  friends,  to 
better  your  condition  and  make  you  part  of  the 
Republic  of  the  United  States.  We  do  not  mean  to 
murder  you  or  rob  you  of  your  property.  Your 
families  shall  be  free  from  molestation ;  your  women 
secure  from  violence.  My  soldiers  will  take  nothing 
from  you  but  what  they  pay  you  for.  In  taking 
possession  of  New  Mexico  we  do  not  mean  to  take 
away  your  religion  from  you.  Religion  and  gov 
ernment  have  no  connection  in  our  country.  There 
all  religions  are  equal;  one  has  no  preference  over 
another;  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  are  esteemed 
alike. 

"Every  man  has  a  right  to  serve  God  according 
to  his  heart.  When  a  man  dies  he  must  render  to 
his  God  an  account  of  his  acts  here  on  earth,  whether 
they  be  good  or  bad.  In  our  government  all  men 
are  equal.  We  esteem  the  most  peaceable  man. 
I  advise  you  to  attend  to  your  domestic  pursuits — 
cultivate  industry — be  peaceable  and  obedient  to 
the  laws.  Do  not  resort  to  violent  means,  to  cor 
rect  abuse.  I  do  hereby  proclaim  that-  being  in  pos 
session  of  Santa  Fe,  I  am  therefore  virtually  in  pos 
session  of  all  New  Mexico.  Armijo  is  no  longer 
your  governor.  His  power  is  departed.  But  he 
will  return  to  be  as  one  of  you.  When  he  shall 
return  you  are  not  to  molest  him.  You  are  no 
longer  Mexican  subjects :  you  are  now  become 
American  citizens,  subject  only  to  the  laws  of  the 
United  States.  A  change  of  government  has  taken 
place  in  New  Mexico,  and  you  no  longer  owe  allegi 
ance  to  the  Mexican  government.  I  do  hereby  pro 
claim  my  intention  to  establish  in  this  Department 
a  civil  government,  on  a  republican  basis,  similar  to 
those  of  our  own  States.  It  is  my  intention  ,also, 
to  continue  in  office  those  by  whom  you  have  been 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        45 

governed,  except  the  governor,  and  such  other  per 
sons  as  I  shall  appoint  to  office  by  virtue  of  the 
authority  vested  in  me.  I  am  your  governor, — 
henceforward  look  to  me  for  protection." 


The  general  next  proceeded  to  inquire  if  they 
were  willing  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
United  States'  government,  to  which  having  given 
their  consent,  he  administered  to  the  Governor  ad 
interim,  the  Secretary  of  the  State,  the  Prefecto, 
the  Alcalde  and  other  officers  of  State,  the  follow 
ing  oath :  "Do  you  swear  in  good  faith  that  under 
all  circumstances  you  will  bear  allegiance  to  the  laws 
and  government  of  the  United  States,  and  that 
through  good  and  evil  you  will  demean  yourselves 
as  obedient  and  faithful  citizens  of  the  same,  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Amen."  Here  shouts  and  huzzas 
were  raised  by  the  Mexicans  for  Governor  Kearney. 
A  very  aged  Mexican  embraced  him  and  wept. 

Gen.  Kearney  having  administered  a  similar 
oath  to  various  delegations  from  the  different  Pue- 
bloes  who  came  to  offer  submission,  tranquility  and 
universal  satisfaction,  seemed  to  prevail.  He  next 
ordered  a  flag-staff,  one  hundred  feet  high,  to  be 
erected  in  the  public  square,  from  the  top  of  which 
the  American  flag  streamed  over  the  capital. 


The  Effects  of  Kind  Treatment. 

The  beneficial  effect  of  kind  treatment  and  hon 
esty  was  readily  seen  on  our  march.  When  we 
came  to  Mexican  ranchos  or  farm  houses,  we  found 
abundance  of  grass  and  thousands  of  horned  cat 
tle,  and  plenty  of  sheep  and  goats  scattered  upon  the 


46        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

hills  and  mountains.  These  flocks  had  each  of  them 
its  respective  shepherd.  We  did  not  molest  them. 
We  took  nothing,  not  even  a  melon,  an  ear  of  corn, 
a  chicken,  a  goat,  or  a  sheep,  from  these  poor  people, 
for  which  we  did  not  pay  the  money.  This  gen 
erous  and  Christian  conduct  on  the  part  of  the 
American  army  completely  secured  the  good  will 
and  friendship  of  the  Mexicans ;  for  they  supposed, 
and  were  even  taught  by  rulers  and  others,  to 
believe  that  they  would  be  robbed,  plundered,  and 
murdered;  and  the  whole  country  ravaged  by  the 
invading  army.  By  this  means  the  rulers  hoped  to 
stimulate  the  common  people  to  oppose  the  Ameri 
cans.  Their  appliances,  however,  failed  of  success. 
The  kind  treatment  the  Americans  uniformly  ex 
tended  toward  those  people  is  worthy  of  the  highest 
praise,  and  doubtless,  before  the  tribunal  of  a  com 
munity  of  men,  who  could  justly  appreciate  the 
moral  force  of  such  an  example,  did  the  command 
more  credit  then  the  gaining  of  ten  victories. 


New  Mexico  of  the  Past. 

New  Mexico,  the  climate  of  which  is  generally 
bland  and  salubrious,  embraced  within  its  ample  ter 
ritory  limits  more  than  200,000  square  miles.  Of 
this  vast  area,  which  included  a  wildness  of  bleak, 
desolate,  unproductive  snow-capped  mountains, 
many  of  whose  summits  were  13,000  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  only  the  valleys  which  were  suscep 
tible  of  irrigation  from  constantly  flowing  streams, 
could  be  cultivated  with  any  degree  of  success.  It 
is  traversed  by  numerous  mountain  ranges,  the 
principal  of  which  are  the  Sierra  Madre,  or  Cor 
dilleras,  and  the  Sierra  Blanco.  Between  these 
spread  out  the  magnificent,  basin-like  valley  of  the 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        47 

Del  Norte,  coursed  by  a  broad,  bright  zone  of  water, 
and  dotted  by  towns,  villages,  ranchos,  and  farm 
houses.  This  valley  contains  the  principal  wealth 
of  the  state.  Gardens  richly  blooming — orchards 
surcharged  with  ripened  fruit — vineyards  bending 
under  the  clustering  grape — fields  of  wheat  waving 
their  golden  harvests  before  the  wind — shady 
groves  of  alamos,  all  irrigated  by  canals  of  clear, 
pure  rippling  water,  strongly  contrasted  with  the 
gigantic  granite  peaks,  which,  blue  as  amethyst, 
tower  high  into  the  heavens.  These  moun 
tains  contained  inexhaustable  stores  of  mineral 
wealth.  Besides  gold,  silver,  lead  and  copper,  bi 
tuminous,  anthracite  coal,  black  oxides,  brimstone  in 
its  pure  state,  salt,  and  vast  quantities  of  gypsum, 
were  known  to  abound.  Corn,  wheat,  rye,  beans, 
pulse,  pepper,  and  onions,  were  the  staple  product 
ion  of  the  country.  Immense  herds  of  cattle, 
droves  of  horses  and  mules,  and  innumerable  flocks 
of  sheep  and  goats  fed  upon  the  mountain  pastures. 
The  New  Mexicans  were  emphatically  a  pastoral 
people.  The  bold  unfailing  mountain  streams, 
with  their  foaming  cascades  and  dashing  cataracts, 
presented  fine  facilities  for  manufacturing,  and 
seemed  to  invite  enterprise. 

New  Mexico  contained,  according  to  a  census 
taken  in  1844,  a  mixed  population  of  160,000;  of 
which  number  one  third  were  Pueblo  Indians,  the 
original  proprietors  of  the  soil,  who  submitted  to  the 
Spaniards  in  the  early  conquest  of  the  country — 
professed  the  Catholic  faith  and  had  their  churches 
and  ecclesiastics.  They  yielded  unforced  obedience 
to  the  laws  of  the  state,  but  lived  in  villages,  or 
Pueblos,  isolated  from  other  New  Mexican  settle 
ments,  and  enjoyed  a  social  system  of  their  own, 
refusing  for  the  most  part,  to  intermarry  with  their 
Mexican  neighbors.  They  still  retained  rancorous 


48        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

hatred  toward  their  conquerors.  More  recently, 
however,  New  Mexico,  owing  to  her  remoteness 
from  the  central  government,  had  been  subjected 
to  the  desolating  incursions  of  the  bordering  tribes, 
and  prostrated  by  feuds  and  intestine  broils.  Many 
bloody  tragedies  had  been  enacted  there.  Thus 
distracted  and  unsupported,  she  fell  an  easy  prey  to 
the  victorious  American  arms. 

Santa  Fe,  the  capital  of  New  Mexico,  occupies 
the  site  of  an  ancient  Pueblo,  and  contained  an  es 
timated  population  of  six  thousand.  It  is  situated 
on  Santa  Fe  creek,  a  beautiful  clear  stream,  issuing 
out  of  the  mountains  toward  the  east,  hav 
ing  its  source  in  a  lake.  From  this  creek  various 
canals  parted  above  the  town  and  led  through  the 
fields,  gardens  and  orchards,  for  the  purpose  of 
irrigation.  Families  use  the  water  of  the  canals. 
Their  houses,  generally  flat-roofed,  and  one  story 
high,  built  of  sun-dried  bricks,  called  adobes,  in  the 
Spanish  language.  In  the  city  there  were  six 
Catholic  churches,  but  no  public  schools,  the  busi 
ness  of  education  being  entrusted  to  the  ecclesias 
tics.  The  streets  were  crooked  and  narrow.  The 
whole  presented  very  much  the  appearance  of  an 
extensive  brick  yard.  The  public  square  was  about 
ninety  yards  from  north  to  south,  and  one  hundred 
from  east  to  west.  The  governor's  residence  or 
palace  was  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  Plaza. 
The  architecture  was  of  the  rudest  order. 

For  many  years,  Santa  Fe  had  been  the  port  of 
entry  for  American  goods,  and  the  great  emporium 
where  the  merchants  of  central  Mexico  annually 
met  the  American  caravans,  to  purchase  their 
stocks.  It  was  a  city  of  considerable  trade. 

The  New  Mexicans  were  generally  under  the 
medium  size,  and  were  of  a  swarthy,  copper  com 
plexion;  though  every  shade  of  color  might  some- 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        49 

tiires  be  met  with,  from  the  fair  Castilian  to  the 
darkest  hue  of  the  aborigines.  They  were  hos 
pitable,  but  ignorant  and  treacherous.  The  women, 
with  few  exceptions,  were  neither  fair  nor  hand 
some,  yet  their  dark,  penetrating,  lustrous,  beaming 
eyes,  peeped  out  most  captivatingly  from  the  folds 
of  their  rebozos,  and  their  black,  glossy  ringlets  of 
hair,  which  constituted  their  greatest  beauty. 
They  seemed  to  possess  more  intelligence  than  the 
men,  and  were  infinitely  their  superiors  in  vivacity 
and  gracefulness  of  demeanor. 

The  New  Mexican,  both  male  and  female, 
had  a  great  fondness  for  jewelery,  dress,  and 
amusements.  For  amusement,  the  fandango  ap 
peared  to  be  the  most  fashionable  place  of  resort, 
where  every  belle  and  beauty  presented  herself  at 
tired  in  the  most  costly  manner,  and  displayed  her 
jewelry  to  the  best  advantage.  To  this  place  of 
recreation  and  pastime,  which  was  generally  a  large 
capacious  saloon,  or  interior  court,  all  descriptions 
of  persons  were  allowed  to  come,  free  of  charge, 
and  without  invitation.  The  fandango  generally 
commenced  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  and 
the  tolling  of  the  church  bells  was  the  signal  for 
the  ladies  to  make  their  appearance  at  the  saloon; 
which  they  did  almost  simultaneously.  The  New 
Mexican  ladies  dressed  gaudily,  but  with  little  taste. 
They  mostly  wore  dresses  without  bodies;  having 
only  the  skirt,  and  long,  loose,  flowing  scarf  or 
wrapper  dextrously  thrown  about  the  head  and 
shoulders,  so  as  to  supersede  both  the  use  of  dress 
and  bodies  and  bonnets.  There  was  but  little  order 
maintained,  and  few  rules  of  etiquette.  A  kind  of 
swinging,  gallopade  waltz  was  their  favorite  dance. 
If  you  were  to  read  Lord  Byron's  graphic  des 
cription  of  the  Dutch  waltz,  and  then  use  your  ima 
gination,  a  faint  conception  of  the  Mexican  fandan- 


50        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

go  may  be  formed.  Such  familiarity  of  position 
was  repugnant  to  those  accustomed  to  good  society, 
but  among  the  people  of  New  Mexico,  nothing  was 
considered  a  greater  accomplishment  than  to  pass 
gracefully  through  all  the  mazes  of  the  waltz.  The 
fandango  had  one  republican  feature  in  the  fact  that 
all  classes  rich  or  poor,  met  and  intermingled  on  a 
common  level. 


Incidents  at  Santa  Fc. 

Our  army  was  quartered  at  Santa  Fe  for  some 
time  during  which  an  express,  born  by  five  men 
was  sent  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  to  be  forwarded 
from  thence  to  Washington.  This  message  con 
tained  a  full  account  of  General  Kearney's  conquest 
of  New  Mexico  and  asked  for  further  instructions 
from  the  War  Department.  The  bearers  of  this 
express  encountered  the  most  severe  trials  on  the 
plains  during  the  inclement  winter  weather,  but 
managed  to  return  to  Santa  Fe  shortly  after  Christ 
mas.  About  this  time  an  incident  occurred  that  will 
give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  oppression  under 
which  the  people  of  that  country  had  suffered. 

On  December  2Qth,  General  Kearney,  having 
occasion  to  transfer  some  public  property  into  the 
hands  of  the  public  functionary,  took  a  piece  of 
blank  paper  upon  which  he  commenced  to  write. 
The  Alcalde,  who  happened  to  be  present,  remarked 
to  the  general  that  an  instrument  of  writing  was  not 
legal  unless  it  was  drawn  up  on  paper  stamped 
with  the  government  seal  or  coat-of-arms,  for  the 
State  or  New  Mexico.  He  then  stepped  out  and 
brought  a  few  sheets  of  government  paper  to  Gen. 
Kearney,  politely  observing  "that  the  government 
sold  it  at  only  eight  dollars  per  sheet,  a  very  moder- 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        51 

ate  sum  to  pay  for  having  an  important  document 
strictly  legal."  Without  ceremony  Gen.  Kearney 
changed  his  purpose  for  the  moment  and  wrote, 
in  substance,  as  follows.  "The  use  of  the  "stanp 
paper"  by  the  government  of  New  Mexico,  is  here 
by  abolished.  Done  by  the  Governor, 

S.  W.  KEARNEY,  Brig.  Gen." 

"I  will  now,"  continued  he,  "take  it  at  its  real 
value,  just  as  other  paper."  The  Alcalde  was  as 
tounded,  for  his  prospects  of  further  extortion  were 
blasted.  The  common  people  who  had  been  com 
pelled  to  pay  the  exorbitant  sum  of  eight  dollars 
for  a  sheet  of  paper,  when  an  instrument  of  writing 
was  wanted  which  required  a  seal,  rejoiced  that 
they  were  now  relieved  of  a  burdensome  tax.  It 
was  thus,  by  acts  of  tyranny  on  the  part  of  the 
government,  that  New  Mexico  had  been  the  abode 
of  misery  and  slavery,  instead  of  happiness  and. 
liberty. 


In  consequence  of  certain  rumors  which  were 
almost  daily  brought  to  Gen.  Kearney,  that  the  mal 
contents,  principally  the  friends  and  adherents  of  the 
deposed  Governor  Armijo  and  some  Pueblo  Indians 
were  rallying  and  concentrating  a  large  armed  force 
somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  Alburquerque,  with 
the  view  to  make  battle,  and  recover  the  capital 
from  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  he  determined  to 
silence  these  reports  and  disperse  the  "rebels" 
against  his  authority,  by  marching  thither  in  per 
son,  which  he  did  at  the  head  of  a  considerable  body 
of  troops,  reaching  San  Tome,  about  one  hundred 
miles  distant  from  Santa  Fe,  and  returning  after  an 


52        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

absence  of  twelve  days,  after  having  subjugated  all 
malcontents  v/ithout  bloodshed  or  loss  of  life. 


In  the  capital  was  found  upon  the  arrival  of 
Gen.  Kearney  at  that  place,  a  small  printing-press, 
which  was  used  for  printing  public  laws,  notices, 
advertisements,  proclamations,  manifestos,pronun- 
ciamentos,  and  other  high-sounding  Mexican 
documents,  in  the  form  of  pamphlets  and  handbills. 
With  this  poor  apology  of  a  printing  press,  and  such 
worn  type,  and  indifferent  ink,  paper  and  other 
materials  as  chanced  to  be  about  the  establishment, 
the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  territory,  which 
had  been  drawn  up  by  Colonel  Doniphan,  were 
published.  As  the  Spanish  had  no  "W",  a  difficulty 
presented  itself,  in  regard  to  the  type,  which  was  at 
length  obviated  by  the  substitution  of  two  V's  for 
one  W.  In  this  manner  were  the  constitution  and 
laws  printed,  both  in  the  Spanish  and  English  lan 
guages,  in  double  column,  placed  in  juxta-position 
on  each  page.  The  arduous  and  difficult  task  of 
translating  the  laws  into  .the  Spanish  language, 
was  assigned  to  Captain  David  Waldo,  whose  thor 
ough  acquaintance  with  the  language  and  customs 
of  the  Mexicans,  as  well  as  accomplished  general 
scholarship,  not  only  qualified  him  for  the  under 
taking,  but  rendered  him  eminently  useful  on  several 
subsequent  occasions  during  the  campaign. 

General  orders  No.  30,  Sec.  2. 
"When  all  the  companies  of  Col,  Price's  regi 
ment  shall  have  reached  here,  Col.  Doniphan  will 
proceed  with  his  regiment  to  Chihuahua,  and  report 
to  Brigadier-general  Wool  for  duty. 

By  order  of  Brig.  Gen.  S.  W.  Kearney. 
(Signed,)     H.  S.  Turner,  Capt.  A. A. A.  Gen." 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        53 

In  explanation  of  the  above  order  we  beg  leave 
to  say  that  the  Col.  Price  referred  to  had  been  sent 
to  Santa  Fe  with  a  body  of  troops  to  support  Gen 
eral  Kearney.  These  troops  were  on  their  way 
over  the  same  route  we  had  taken,  and  were  expec 
ted  at  any  time.  As  to  the  part  referring  to  the  re 
porting  to  General  Wool,  no  one  doubted  but  that 
he  would  take  possession  of  Chihuahua  long  before 
Col.  Doniphan  would  reach  there. 


On  the  25th,  Gen.  Kearney  with  a  very  inade 
quate  force  for  such  an  enterprise,  set  out  from  the 
capital  Santa  Fe  for  the  distant  shores  of  the  Paci 
fic,  leaving  Col.  Doniphan  in  command  of  all  the 
forces  in  New  Mexico.  The  Col.  was  now  actively 
employed  in  pushing  forward  preparations  for  his 
contemplated  descent  upon  Chihuahua.  Supplies 
were  being  procured  for  the  men.  Every  soldier 
endeavored  to  mount  himself  on  a  safe  and  durable 
animal,  for  the  march  was  known  to  be  long  and 
perilous,  passing  through  desert  tracts  of  country. 

Wagons  for  transporting  baggage  and  pro 
visions,  were  speedily  being  repaired.  Harness  and 
teams  were  put  in  readiness  for  the  draught.  It 
was  the  colonel's  intention  to  begin  his  great  march 
as  soon  as  Col.  Price  should  arrive  at  Santa  Fe 
with  his  troops,  and  succeed  him  in  command  at 
that  place. 


The  author  may  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  mak 
ing,  at  this  point,  a  few  brief  remarks  in  commenda 
tion  of  his  comrades  who  served  their  country  in 
the  Mexican  War.  He  has  observed  his  comrades 
in  arms,  after  performing  the  severest  toils  during 
a  long  and  fatiguing  march  of  nine  hundred  miles, 


54        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

bearing  with  fortitude  the  burden  and  heat  of  the 
day,  some  times  half  faint  of  thirst  and  hunger, 
subsisting  the  greater  part  of  the  time  upon  half 
rations,  refuse  to  pluck  the  ears  of  corn  that  grew 
thickly  and  invitingly  around  them.  This  exhibited 
a  degree  of  moral  firmness  and  a  regard  for  the 
rights  of  property  which  was  truly  characteristic 
of  the  American  people  at  that  time,  and  is  worthy 
of  the  highest  praise,  and  was  doubtless,  one  of  the 
happy  results  of  our  benign  institutions. 

There  was  a  national  feeling  in  the  army  of  the 
west.  Every  soldier  felt  that  he  was  a  freeman; 
that  he  was  a  citizen  of  the  model  Republic; 
and  that  he  ought  to  look  upon  the  disgrace  of  the 
American  arms  as  individual  dishonor.  Hence 
their  high  -moral  sense  and  conscious 
superiority  over  the  Mexican  people.  As 
the  American  soldier  walked  in  the  streets  of  the 
capital,  and  met  a  group  of  Mexican  ladies  and 
gentlemen  going  to  the  plaza  with  marketables,  or 
in  more  gaudy  attire  passing  up  the  walks  to  the 
Catholic  churches,  he  paid  them  the  same  compli 
mentary  marks  of  courtesy  and  civility,  with  which 
he  had  been  accustomed  to  greet  his  own  fairer 
country-women  and  men  in  the  streets  of  St.  Louis, 
Cincinnati,  New  York,  or  Philadelphia.  This  hon 
orable  feeling  was  never  once  forgotten  or  lost  sight 
of  by  the  citizen  soldiers,  with,  perhaps, 
a  few  exceptions,  in  individual  instances. 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR.        55 


Doniphan's  Navajo  Campaign. 

An  express  which  reached  Santa  Fe  October 
nth,  1846,  brought  an  order  from  General  Kearney 
written  at  his  camp  on  the  Rio  del  Norte,  near  Lay 
Joya,  to  Col.  Doniphan,  instructing  him  that  for  a 
time  he  should  delay  his  contemplated  movement 
upon  Chihuahua,  and  with  his  regiment,  to  proceed 
into  the  country  inhabited  by  the  Navajos,  a  large, 
populous  tribe  of  Indians,  and  chastise  them  for  de- 
predat^TTiPtliey  had  recently  committed  on  the 
western ^frontiers  of  New  Mexico,  arfd  for  refusing 
to  come  to  the  capital  when  sent  for.  The  following 
is  a  copy  of  the  order : 

Headquarters  Army  of  the  West. 
Camp  on  the  Rio  del  Norte  near  Lajoya,  Oct.  2nd, 

1846. 

I.  As  the  chiefs  of  the  Navajos  have  been 
invited  to   Santa  Fe  by  the  commanding  general, 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  a  council,  and  making 
a  peace  between  them  and  the  inhabitants  of  New 
Mexico,  (now  forming  a  part  and  under  the  protec 
tion  of  the  United  States,)  and  as  they  have  promis 
ed  to  come,  but  have  failed  doing  so,  and  instead 
thereof  continue  killing  people  and  committing  de 
predations  upon  their  property,  it  becomes  necessary 
to  send  a  military  expedition  into  the  country  of 
these  Indians,  to  secure  a  peace  and  better  conduct 
from  them  in  the  future. 

II.  For  the  reason  set  forth  in  the  foregoing 
paragraph,  Col.  Doniphan,  of     the     ist     regiment 


56         INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Missouri  mounted  volunteers,  previous  to  comply 
ing  with  paraghaph  II.  of  orders  No.  30,  dated 
Sept.  23rd,  will  march  with  his  regiment  into  the 
Navajo  country.  He  will  cause  all  the  prisoners, 
and  all  the  property  they  hold,  which  may  nave  been 
stolen  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  territory  of  New 
Mexico,  to  be  given  up — and  shall  require  of  them 
security  for  their  future  good  conduct,  as  he  may 
think  ample  and  sufficient,  by  taking  hostages  or 
otherwise. 

III.     After  Col.  Doniphan  has  fully  complied 
with  these   instructions,   he   will   proceed   with   his 
regiment  to  report  to  Brigadier-general  Wool,   as 
directed  in  orders  No.  30. 
By  order  of  Brigadier-General  S.  W.  KEARNEY. 

H.  S.  Turner,  Capt.  A.  A.  A.  Gen. 


Four  months'  pay  was  now  due  the  soldiers, 
and  many  of  them  would  be  soon  destitute  of  com 
fortable  clothing,  yet  Col.  Doniphan  had  neither  a 
military  chest,  nor  a  paymaster,  nor  had  he  a  dollar 
of  government  funds  to  silence  the  just  complaints 
or  satisfy  the  reasonable  wants  of  his  men.  They 
looked  upon  it  as  a  hardship,  and  with  reason, 
that  they  were  ordered  against  the  Indians,  without 
pay,  and  with  little  less  than  their  summer  cloth 
ing  to  protect  them  from  the  cold  in  a  country 
where  they  would  be  compelled  to  climb  over  the 
tallest  mountains,  and  often  encamp  in  the  midst 
of  snow  and  ice,  and  rocks,  and  where  it  was  impos 
sible  to  procure  either  wood  for  tire,  water  to  drink, 
or  forage  for  horses  or  mules. 

Now,  besides  these  difficulties,  the  nature  of  the 
country  is  such,  that  it  is  impracticable  for  artillery, 
baggage  or  provision  wagons,  or  even  the  lighter 
carriages;  so  steep  and  abrupt  are  the  rocks,  hills 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.        57 

and  mountains.  Only  pack  mules  and  small 
donkies  can  be  used  with  advantage.  For  this  rea 
son  Maj.  Gilpin  sent  all  his  baggage  wagons  bacK 
from  Abiquiu  in  to  the  Del  Norte  valley ;  Lieutenant 
colonel  Jackson  did  the  same  thing  from  Cebolleta; 
and  Colonel  Doniphan  the  same.  They  also  threw 
away  their  tents,  that  being  light-armed  and  un 
embarrassed,  they  might  make  their  marches  with 
greater  expedition  amongst  the  rocks,  ravines  ana 
steeps  of  the  mountains.  Morever,  the  soldiers 
thought,  as  they  had  been  previously  ordered 
against  Chihuahua,  that  some  portion  of  the  troops 
which  were  idle  at  Santa  Fe,  might  have  been  sent 
on  this  service. 

The  detachment  now,  with  Col.  Doniphan, 
marched  on  the  30,  of  October  down  the  country, 
keeping  the  river  of  Del  Norte  on  the  right,  and  the 
mountains  of  the  craggy  hills  on  the  left;  and  ar 
riving  about  sunset  at  the  village  Sandia,  the  men 
stayed  there  during  the  night,  encamping  on  the 
ground  without  much  system,  but  wherever  each  sol 
dier  preferred  to  lie ;  for  now  there  was  no  danger, 
and  the  men  were  tired  of  marchings,  and  watch- 
ings,  and  mounting  guard.  That  night  much  rain 
fell,  and  the  men  endured  it  all;  for  by  this  time 
few  of  them  had  any  tents,  and  some  of  those  who 
had  did  not  take  pains  to  pitch  them.  It  was  here 
that  a  Mexican  came  into  camp,  and  reported  "that 
Gen.  Wool  had  taken  possession  of  Chihuahua  with 
6.000  men,  and  much  heavy  artillery,  and  that  the 
Mexicans  made  but  feeble  resistance."  This  did 
not  prove  true. 

The  next  day  the  march  was  continued  down 
the  river;  the  men  encamping  on  a  "brazo"  during 
the  night.  There  was  now  plenty  of  provision  in 
camp  for  the  soldiers ;  but  wood  was  so  scarce  that 
it  was  a  difficult  task  for  them  to  prepare  anything 


58        INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

to  eat  at  supper.  Some  of  them  collected  together 
a  few  little  bunches  of  dry  brush,  while  others  as 
they  could  picked  up  withered  grass  and  weeds  and 
dry  ordure  from  the  cattle,  and  with  these  made  a 
fire  and  broiled  their  meat  and  boiled  their  coffee. 

It  was  here  that  the  colonel  received  information 
from  a  caravan  or  merchant  train,  which  had  ad 
vanced  as  far  down  the  valley  of  the  Del  Norte  as 
the  ruins  of  Valverde,  for  the  purpose  of  grazing 
their  mules  and  other  animals  to  better  advantage, 
that  they  apprehended  an  attack  from  the  Mexicans 
almost  daily,  who  were  said  to  be  advancing,  seven 
hundred  strong,  with  the  view  of  plundering  the 
merchant's  wagons.  In  this  perplexity,  Col.  Doni- 
phan,  that  he  might  accomplish  all  his  purposes, 
and  fail  in  none,  dispatched  the  three  companies 
which  he  had  with  him,  to  protect  the  traders  and 
their  merchandise.  Of  this  squadron  Capt.  Walton 
had  the  command,  ranking  the  other  two  captains, 
Moss  and  Rodgers.  Capt.  Burgwin  (having  been 
sent  back  by  Gen.  Kearney  with  about  two  hundred 
men)  being  previously  apprised  of  the  critical 
situation  of  the  merchants,  had  already  gone  to  af 
ford  them  succor.  Thus  in  a  short  time  there  were 
five  hundred  mounted  men,  besides  three  hundred 
merchants  and  teamsters  at  Valverde,  ready  to  op 
pose  any  hostile  movement  the  enemy  might  choose 
to  make.  The  merchants  had  also  corraled  their 
wagons  in  such  a  manner  as  to  receive  troops  within 
and  afford  them  shelter  against  an  emeny,  so  that  the 
besieged  could  fight  with  as  much  security  as  though 
they  were  in  a  fortress. 

As  to  Col.  Doniphan,  he  took  his  staff  (that 
part  of  it  which  happened  to  be  with  him),  and 
attended  by  three  or  four  other  men,  proceeded  with 
great  haste  to  Cuvarro,  not  far  from  the  river 
Puerco,  making  great  marches  and  encamping  on  the 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        59 

ground  wherever  nightfall  chanced  to  overtake 
him.  He  arrived  at  Cuvarro  on  the  5th,  of  Novem 
ber,  where  he  found  the  detachment  under  Lieuten 
ant-colonel  Jackson.  On  November  I5th,  Colonel 
Doniphan  and  Lieutenant-colonel  Jackson  took  up 
the  line  of  march  for  the  Bear  Spring,  with 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  under  Capt.  Par 
sons  and  Lieutenant  DeCourcy;  Capt.  Hughes  zind 
the  other  sick  men  being  left  at  Cuvarro.  This 
detachment  was  also  scarce  of  provisions,  and  had 
neither  tents  nor  baggage  wagons,  but  made  use  of 
pack  mules  to  transport  provisions  and  cooking 
utensils. 

For  two  days  the*  march  was  conducted  up 
through  a  rich  valley  country,  in  the  direction  of  the 
sources  of  the  Puerco.  The  grass  was  moderately 
good  for  grazing  purposes ;  but  wood  was  scarce 
and  the  water  muddy  and  filthy,  This  district  of 
country  was  occupied  by  that  canton  of  Navajos,  of 
whom  Sandoval  was  the  chief.  On  the  evening  of 
the  latter  day  they  encamped  on  a  rivulet,  whose 
water  came  leaping  down  in  foaming  cascades,  from 
the  mountain,  and  then  disappeared  in  the  sands  ol 
the  valley.  Having  no  tents,  the  soldiers  quarter 
ed  on  the  naked  earth,  in  the  open  air ;  but  so  rfrich 
snow  fell  that  night,  that  at  dawn  it  was  impos 
sible  to  distinguish  where  they  lay,  until  they 
broke  the  snow  which  covered  them,  and  came  out 
as  though  they  were  rising  from  their  graves;  for 
in  less  than  twelve  hours  the  snow  had  fallen 
thirteen  inches  deep  in  the  valleys  and  thirty-six 
in  the  mountains. 

On  the  1 7th  they  marched  north-westerly,  leav 
ing  the  heads  of  the  Puerco  to  the  right,  and  passing 
directly  over  the  Sierra  Madre.  The  march  was 
difficult  in  the  vallies ;  but  when  they  came  to  ascend 
the  steep  spurs  and  bench  lands,  which  lead  up  to 


CO        INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

the  mountains,  a  horrid,  dreary  prospect  opened 
above  them.  The  men  and  their  commanders  were 
almost  up  to  their  waist,  toiling  in  the  snow,  break 
ing  a  way  for  the  horses  and  mules  to  ascend.  The 
lowest  point  in  the  main  mountain,  rose  to  a  sublime 
height ;  and  to  the  right,  still  towering  far  above  this 
projected  stupendous,  colossal  columns  of  ragged 
granite,  and  iron-colored  basalt.  After  superhuman 
efforts  they  arrived  at  the  Bear  Spring  on  the 
morning  of  the  2ist;  Major  Gilpin,  as  already 
noticed,  having  arrived  there  on  the  day  previous, 
with  a  number  of  the  Navajo  chiefs,  who  dwell  in 
the  country  to  the  west  and  to  the  north-west  of  that 
place,  commissioned  to  bind  the  nation. 


Treaty  at  Bear  Spring. 

There  were  now  present  at  the  Bear  Spring, 
where  the  treaty  was  made,  about  one  hundred  and 
eighty  Americans  and  five  hundred  Navajo  Indians, 
including  all  the  head  chiefs  of  each  of  the  cantons, 
composing  the  powerful  tribe  of  Mountain 
Lords  and  scourges  of  New  Mexico.  The 
parties  being  all  present,  to  whom  power  was  del 
egated  to  conclude  a  lasting  peace  between  three 
nations,  the  Navajos,  Mexicans,  and  Americans, 
the  treaty  was  commenced  on  the  2ist,  Col.  Doni- 
phan  first  stating  explicitly,  through  an  interpeter, 
T.  Caldwell,  the  objects  of  his  visit,  and  the  designs 
and  intentions  of  his  government.  One  of  the 
chiefs,  Sarcilla  Largo,  a  young  man,  very  bold  and 
intellectual,  spoke  for  them.  "He  was  gratified  to 
learn  the  views  of  the  Americans.  He  admired  their 
spirit  and  enterprise,  but  detested  the  Mexicans. 
Their  speeches  were  delivered  alternately  during  tn< 
whole  day.  At  sunset  the  parties  adjourned  to  meet 
the  following  morning  at  which  meeting  the  follow- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        61 

ing  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded  and  signed  by 
both  parties: 


Art.  i.  A  firm  and  lasting  peace  of  amity 
shall  henceforth  exist  between  the  American  people 
and  the  Navajo  tribe  of  Indians. 

Art  2.  The  people  of  New  Mexico  and  the 
Pueblo  Indians  are  included  in  the  term  American 
people. 

Art.  3.  A  mutual  trade,  as  between  people  of 
the  same  nations,  shall  be  carried  on  between  these 
several  parties;  the  Americans,  Mexicans  and 
Pueblos  being  free  to  visit  all  portions  of  the  Navajo 
country,  and  the  Navajos  all  portions  of  the  Ameri 
can  country  without  molestation,  and  full  protection 
shall  be  mutually  given. 

Art.  4.  There  shall  be  a  mutual  restoration 
of  all  prisoners,  the  several  parties  being  pledged 
to  redeem  by  purchase  such  as  may  not  be  ex 
changed  each  for  each. 

Art.  5.  All  property  taken  by  either  party 
from  the  other,  since  the  i8th,  day  of  August  last, 
shall  be  restored. 


Thus  after  almost  unparalleled  exertion  a 
treaty  of  peace  was  concluded  between  the  Navajos, 
New  Mexicans,  and  Americans,  in  a  manner  honor 
able  to  all  parties.  This  was  a  novel,  highly  im 
portant  and  interesting  proceeding.  The  Navajos 
and  New  Mexico  had  been  at  war  from  immemor 
ial  time.  The  frontier  between  them  had  been  the 
continual  scene  of  bloodshed  and  rapine.  At  this 
crisis,  the  Americans,  the  enemies  of  one,  and 
strangers  to  the  other,  stepped  in  and  accommo 
dated  their  differences  by  a  triple  league,  which 
secured  peace  between  all  three. 


62        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


The  March  to  Chihuahua, 


Col.  Doniphan,  upon  his  return  from  the 
Navajo  country,  dispatched  Lieut.  Hinton  from 
Socorro  to  Santa  Fe,,  with  orders  to  Col.  Price, 
commanding  the  forces  at  the  capital,  to  send  him 
ten  pieces  of  canon,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  artillerymen.  Col.  Doniphan  especially  reques 
ted  that  he  would  send  Capt.  Weightman's  company 
of  light  artillery,  leaving  it  discretionary  with 
Major  Clark  whether  he  would  remain  at  Santa  Fe, 
or  accompany  the  expedition  against  Chihuahua. 
He  chose  the  latter. 

The  camp  at  Valverde  was  made  the  place  of 
rendezvous  at  which  all  the  detachments  and  par 
cels  of  the  regiment  were  to  be  reorganized.  Lieut. 
DeCourcy  was  appointed  adjutant  in  place  of  Geo. 
M.  Butler,  who  died  at  Cuvarro;  Sergeant-major 
Hinton  resigned,  and  was  elected  in  De  Courcy's 
stead;  and  Palmer,  a  private,  was  appointed  Ser 
geant-major.  Also,  surgeon  Penn,  and  assistant 
surgeon  Vaughan,  having  previously  resigned  and 
returned  to  Missouri,  T.  M.  Morton  now  became 
principal  surgeon,  and  J.  F.  Morton  and  Dr.  Moore, 
assistant  surgeons. 

With  indefatigable  labor  and  exertion,  Lieuts. 
James  Lee,  and  Pope  Gordon,  assistant  quarter- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        63 

master  and  commissary,  had  procured  an  outfit 
and  supply  of  provisions  for  the  expedition.  These 
they  had  already  at  Valverde,  or  on  the  way  thither, 
when  the  detachments  returned  from  the  campaign 
against  the  Navajos.  The  merchant  trains  had 
received  permission  to  advance  slowly  down  the 
country,  until  the  army  should  take  up  the  line  of 
march,  when  they  were  to  fall  in  the  rear  with  the 
baggage  and  provision  trains,  that  they  might  be 
more  conveniently  guarded. 

About  the  1st  of  November,  Dr.  Connelly, 
Doane,  M'Manus,  Valdez,  and  James  M'Goffin, 
proceeded  to  El  Paso,  in  advance  of  the  army,  and 
contrary  to  orders,  to  ascertain  upon  what  conditions 
their  merchandize  could  be  introduced  through  the 
custom  house  in  to  the  Chihuahua  market.  They 
were,  immediately  upon  their  arrival  at  El  Paso, 
seized  and  conducted  under  an  escort  of  twenty-six 
soldiers  to  the  city  of  Chihuahua,  where  they  re 
mained  in  surveillance  until  liberated  by  the  Ameri 
can  army. 

While  Col.  Doniphan  was  yet  in  the  moun 
tains,  Lieutenant-colonel  Mitchell  of  the  2nd  regi 
ment,  and  Capt.  Thompson  of  the  regular  service, 
conceived  the  bold  project  of  opening  communica 
tion  between  Santa  Fe  and  Gen.  Wool's  army,  at 
that  time  supposed  to  be  advancing  upon  Chihuahua. 
For  this  purpose  a  volunteer  company,  consisting 
of  one  hundred  and  three  men,  raised  from  the  dif 
ferent  corps  at  Santa  Fe,  was  organized  under  the 
name  of  "Chihuahua  Rangers"  commanded  by  Capt. 
Hudson,  and  Lieuts.  Todd,  Sproule,  and  Gibson. 
This  force  having  advanced  down  the  valley  of  the 
Del  Norte  some  distance  below  Valverde,  and  hear 
ing  of  a  strong  Mexican  force  near  El  Paso,  durst 
not  venture  further,  but  returned  and  joined  Col. 
Doniphan's  column,  which  was  then  about  being  put 


64        INCIDENTS   OF    THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

in  motion.  All  things  were  now  ready  for  the 
march. 

Accordingly,  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  in 
the  march  over  the  "Jornacla  del  Muerto,"  or 
Great  Desert,  which  extends  from  Fra  Christobal 
to  Robledo,  a  distance  of  ninety  miles,  the  colonel 
dispatched  Major  Gilpin  in  the  direction  of  El  Paso 
on  the  1 4th  of  December,  in  command  of  a  division 
of  three  hundred  men;  on  the  i6th,  he  started  Lieu 
tenant-colonel  Jackson  with  an  additional  force  of 
two  hundred;  and  on  the  iQth  he  marched  in  person 
with  the  remainder  of  his  command,  including  the 
provisions  and  a  part  of  the  baggage  trains. 

In  passing  this  dreadful  desert,  which  is  em 
phatically  the  "Journey  °f  tne  Dead,"  the  men  suf 
fered  much,  for  the  weather  was  now  becoming 
extremely  cold,  and  there  was  neither  water  to 
drink  nor  wood  for  fire.  Hence  it  was  not  possible 
to  prepare  anything  to  eat.  The  soldiers,  fatigued 
with  marching,  faint  with  hunger,  and  benumbed 
by  the  piercing  winds,  straggled  along  the  road  at 
night,  (for  there  was  not  much  halting  for  re 
pose,)  setting  fire  to  the  dry  bunches  of  grass  and 
stalks  of  soap-plant,  or  palmilla,  which  would  blaze 
up  like  flashes  of  powder,  and  as  quickly  extinguish, 
leaving  the  men  shivering  in  the  cold.  For  miles 
the  road  was  most  brilliantly  illuminated  by  sudden 
flashes  of  light,  which  lasted  but  for  a  moment, 
then  again  all  was  dark.  At  length,  toward  mid 
night,  the  front  of  the  column  would  halt  for  a  little 
repose.  The  struggling  parties  would  continue  to 
arrive  at  all  hours  of  the  night.  The  guards  were 
posted  out.  The  men  without  their  suppers  lay 
upon  the  earth  and  rested.  The  teamsters  were 
laboring  incessantly,  night  and  day,  with  their  trains 
to  keep  pace  with  the  march  of  the  army.  By  day- 
dawn  the  reveille  roused  the  tired  soldiers  from 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        65 

their  comfortless  bed  of  gravel  and  called  them  to 
resume  the  march,  without  taking  breakfast;  for 
this  could  not  be  provided  on  the  desert.  Such  was 
the  march  for  more  than  three  days  over  the  Jor 
nada  del  Muerto. 

On  the  22nd,  Col.  Doniphan  overtook  the  de 
tachments  under  Lieutenant-colonel  Jackson  and 
Major  Gilpin,  near  the  little  Mexican  town,  Don- 
anna.  Here  the  soldiers  found  plenty  of  graii}, 
and  other  forage  for  their  animals,  running  streams 
of  water,  and  an  abundance  of  dried  fruit,  corn-meal 
and  sheep  and  cattle.  These  they  purchased. 
Therefore,  they  soon  forgot  the  sufferings  and  pri 
vations  which  they  had  experienced  on  the  desert. 
Here  they  feasted  and  reposed. 

The  army  now  encamped  within  the  boundries 
of  the  State  of  Chihuahua.  The  advanced  detach 
ments  under  Lieutenant-colonel  Jackson  and  Major 
Gilpin,  apprehending  an  attack  from  the  Mexicans 
about  the  2Oth,  had  sent  an  express  to  Col.  Doni 
phan,  then  on  the  desert,  requesting  him  to  quicken 
his  march. 

Captain  Reid,  with  his  company,  had  proceed 
ed  about  twelve  miles  below  Donanna  for  the  pur 
pose  of  making  a  reconnoissance,  and  of  acting  as 
a  scout  or  advance  guard.  While  encamped  on  the 
outskirts  of  a  forest,  on  a  point  of  hills  which  com 
manded  the  Chihuahua  road,  on  the  night  of  the 
23rd,  one  of  his  sentinels  hailed  two  Mexican  spies, 
in  the  Spanish  language.  The  spies  mistaking  the 
sentinel  for  a  friend,  advanced  very  near.  At 
length  discovering  their  mistake,  they  wheeled  to 
effect  their  escape  by  flight.  The  sentinel  leveled 
his  rifle-yager,  and  discharged  the  ball  through 
the  bodies  of  two  of  them.  One  of  them  tumbled 
from  his  horse,  dead,  after  running  a  few  hundred 
yards,  and  the  other  at  a  greater  distance.  Their 


66        INCIDENTS   OF  THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

bodies  were  afterwards  discovered.     The  Sentinel 
was  Frank  Smith,  of  Saline. 

On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  the  whole  com 
mand,  including  Lieutenant-colonel  Mitchel's  escort, 
and  the  entire  merchant,  provision,  and  baggage 
trains,  moved  off  in  direction  of  El  Paso,  and,  after 
a  progress  of  fifteen  miles,  encamped  on  the  river 
for  water.  The  forage  was  only  moderately  good, 
Therefore  the  animals,  which  were  not  tethered 
rambled  and  straggled  a  far  off  into  the  adjacent 
bosquets  and  thickets,  during  the  night. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        67 


The  Battle  of  Brazito. 


On  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  December,  a  bril 
liant  sun  rising  above  Organic  mountains  to  the  east 
ward  burst  forth  upon  the  world  in  all  its  efful 
gence.  The  little  army,  at  this  time  not  exceeding 
800  strong,  was  comfortably  encamped  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  Del  Norte.  The  men  felt  frolicsome 
indeed.  They  sang  the  cheering  song  of  Yankee 
Doodle,  and  Hail  Columbia.  Many  guns  were  fired 
in  honor  of  Christmas  day.  But  there  was  no  need 
of  all  this  had  they  known  the  sequel. 

At  an  early  hour  the  colonel  took  up  the  line 
of  march,  with  a  strong  front  and  rear  guard,  the 
rear  guard  under  Captain  Moss,  was  delayed  for  a 
considerable  part  of  the  day  in  bringing  up  the 
trains,  and  the  loose  animals  which  had  rambled  off 
during  the  night.  A  great  number  of  men  were  al 
so  straggling  about  in  search  of  their  lost  stock. 
These  were  also  delayed. 

While  on  the  march  the  men  most  earnestly 
desired  that,  if  they  had  to  encounter  the  enemy  at 
all,  they  might  meet  him  that  day.  They  were  grati 
fied:  for  having  proceeded  about  eighteen  miles, 
the  colonel  pitched  his  tent  at  a  place  called  Brazito, 


68        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAlv. 

or  the  Little  Arm,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river, 
in  an  open  level  bottom  prairie,  bordered  next  the 
mountains  and  the  river,  on  the  east  and  the  south 
east,  by  a  mezquit  and  willow  chapparal.  Here 
the  front  guard  had  called  a  halt. 

While  the  men  were  scattered  everywhere  in 
quest  of  wood  and  water  for  cooking  purposes,  and 
fresh  grass  for  their  animals,  and  while  the  trains 
and  straggling  men  were  scattered  along  the  road 
for  miles  in  the  rear,  a  cloud  of  dust,  greater  than 
usual,  was  observed  in  the  direction  of  El  Paso, 
and  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  some  one  of  the  ad 
vance  guard,  coming  at  full  speed,  announced  to  the 
colonel  "that  the  enemy  was  advancing  upon  him." 
It  is  said  that  Col.  Doniphan  and  several  of  his  offi 
cers  and  men,  were,  at  that  moment  engaged  in  play 
ing  a  game  of  three-trick  loo.  At  first  he  observed 
that  the  cloud  of  dust  was  perhaps  produced  by  a 
gust  of  wind,  and  that  they  had  as  well  play  their 
hands  out.  In  another  moment  the  plumes  and  ban 
ners  of  the  enemy  were  plainly  in  view.  The  colonel 
quickly  sprang  to  his  feet,  threw  down  his  cards, 
grasped  his  sabre,  and  observed,  "Boys,  I  held  an 
invincible  hand,  but  I'll  be  d — nd  if  I  don't  have  to 
play  it  out  in  steel  now."  Every  man  flew  to  his 
post.  Assembly  call  was  blown.  The  men,  dashing 
down  their  loads  of  wood  and  buckets  of  water, 
came  running  from  all  quarters,  seized  their  arms, 
and  fell  into  line  under  whatever  flag  was  most  con 
venient.  As  fast  as  those  come  up  in  the  rear,  they 
also  fell  into  line  under  the  nearest  standards.  The 
officers  dashed  from  post  to  post,  and  in  an  incredi 
bly  short  time  the  Missourians  were  marshaled  on 
the  field  of  fight. 

By  this  time  the  Mexican  general  had  drawn 
up  his  forces  in  front,  and  on  the  right  and  left 
flanks  of  Col.  Doniphan's  lines.  Their  strength  was 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        69 

about  one  thousand  three  hundred  men,  consisting 
of  five  hundred  and  fourteen  dragoons,  and  an  old 
and  well  known  corps  from  Vera  Cruz  and  Zacate- 
cas,  and  eight  hundred  volunteers,  cavalry  and  in 
fantry,  from  El  Paso  and  Chihuahua,  and  four 
pieces  of  artillery.  They  exhibited  a  most  gallant 
and  imposing  appearance;  for  the  dragoons  were 
dressed  in  a  uniform  of  blue  pantaloons,  green 
coats  trimmed  with  scarlet,  and  tall  caps  plated  in 
front  with  brass,  on  the  top  of  which  fantastically 
waved  plumes  of  horse-hair,  or  buffalo's  tail. 
Their  bright  lances  and  swords  glittered  in  the  sheen 
of  the  sun.  Thus  marshaled,  they  paused  for  a 
moment. 

Meanwhile  Col.  Doniphan,  and  his  field  and 
company  officers,  appeared  as  calm  and  collected  as 
when  on  drill ;  and  in  the  most  spirited  manner,  en 
couraged  the  men  by  the  memory  of  their  fore 
fathers,  by  the  past  history  of  their  country,  and 
by  the  recollection  of  the  battle  of  Okeechobee, 
which  was  fought  on  the  same  day  in  1837,  and  by 
every  consideration  which  renders  life,  liberty,  and 
country  valuable,  to  cherish  no  other  thought  than 
that  of  victory. 

Before  the  battle  commenced,  and  while  the  two 
armies  stood  front  to  front,  the  Mexican  comman 
der,  General  Ponce  de  Leon,  dispached  a  lieutenant 
to  Col.  Doniphan,  bearing  a  black  flag.  This  mes 
senger,  coming  with  the  speed  of  lightning,  halt 
ed  when  within  sixty  yards  of  the  American  lines, 
and  waved  his  ensign  gracefully  in  salutation. 
Hereupon  Col.  Doniphan  advancing  toward  him  a 
little  way,  sent  his  interpreter,  T.  Caldwell,  to  know 
his  demands.  The  ambassador  said: — "The  Mexi 
can  General  summons  your  commander  to  appear 
before  him."  The  interpreter  replied :  "If  your 
General  desires  peace,  let  him  come  here."  The 


70        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

other  rejoined:  "Then  we  will  break  your  ranks 
and  take  him  there."  "Come  then  and  take  him." 
retorted  interpreter.  "Curses  be  upon  you, — pre 
pare  for  a  charge, — we  neither  ask  nor  give  quar 
ter."  said  the  messenger;  an  waving  his  black  flag 
over  his  head,  galloped  back  to  the  Mexican  lines. 

At  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  the  Vera  Cruz 
dragoons,  who  occupied  the  right  of  the  enemy's 
line  of  battle,  first  made  a  bold  charge  upon  the 
Americans'  left.  When  within  a  few  rods  the 
yagermen  opened  a  most  deadly  fire  upon  them, 
producing  great  execution.  At  the  same  crisis,  Cap 
tain  Reid  with  a  party  of  sixteen  mounted  men  (for 
the  rest  were  all  on  foot)  charged  upon  them, 
broke  through  their  ranks,  and  hewed  them  to 
pieces  with  their  sabres,  and  thereby  contributed  ma 
terially  in  throwing  the  enemy's  right  wing  into 
confusion.  A  squad  or  section  of  the  dragoons  hav 
ing  flanked  our  left,  now  charged  upon  the  commis 
sary  and  baggage  train,  but  the  gallant  wagoners 
opened  upon  them  a  well  directed  fire,  which  threw 
them  into  disorder  and  caused  three  of  their  number 
to  pay  the  forfeit  of  their  lives. 

The  Chihuahua  infantry  and  cavalry  were 
on  their  left,  and  consequently  operated  against  our 
right  wing.  They  advanced  within  gunshot,  and 
took  shelter  within  the  chaparral,  discharging  three 
full  rounds  upon  our  lines  before  we  returned  the 
fire.  At  this  crisis  Col.  Doniphan  ordered  the  men 
to  "lie  down  on  their  faces,  and  reserve  their  fire  un 
til  the  Mexicans  came  within  sixty  paces."  This 
was  done.  The  Mexicans  supposed  that  they  had 
wrought  fearful  execution  in  our  ranks,  as  some 
were  falling  down,  while  others  stood  up,  began  now 
to  advance  and  exultingly  cry  out  "bueno,  bueno," 
whereupon  our  whole  right  wing,  suddenly  rising 
up,  let  fly  such  a  galling  volley  of  yager  balls  into 


INCIDENTS   0*    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        71 

their  ranks,   that  they  wheeled  about  and  fled  in 
the  utmost  confusion. 

By  this  time  the  Howard  company,  and  others 
occupying  the  centre,  had  repulsed  the  enemy  with 
considerable  loss,  and  taken  possession  of  one  piece 
of  his  artillery,  and  the  corresponding  ammunition. 
This  was  a  brass,  six-pound  howitzer.  Sergeant 
Calaway,  and  a  few  others  of  that  company  first 
gained  possession  of  this  piece  of  canon,  cut  the  dead 
animals  loose  from  it,  and  were  preparing  to  turn 
it  upon  the  enemy,  when  Lieut.  Kribben  with  a 
file  of  artillerymen,  was  ordered  to  man  it. 

The  consternation  now  became  general  among 
the  ranks  of  the  Mexicans,  and  they  commenced  a 
precipitate  retreat  along  the  base  of  the  mountain. 
Many  of  them  took  refuge  in  the  craggy  fastnesses. 
They  were  pursued  by  the  Americans  about  one 
mile;  Capt.  Reid  and  Capt.  Walton,  who  by  this 
time  had  mounted  a  few  of  his  men,  following  them 
still  further.  All  now  returned  to  camp,  and  con 
gratulated  one  another  on  the  achievement.  The 
Mexican  loss  was  seventy-one  killed,  five  prisoners, 
and  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  wounded, 
among  whom  was  their  commanding  officer,  gener 
al  Ponce  de  Leon.  Also  a  considerable  quantity  oi 
ammunition,  baggage,  wine,  provisions,  blankets, 
a  great  number  of  lances,  some  guns  and  several 
stands  of  colors,  were  among  the  spoils.  A  number 
of  horses  were  killed,  and  several  were  captured. 
The  Americans  had  eight  men  wounded — none 
killed.  In  this  engagement  Col.  Doniphan,  his  offi 
cers  and  men,  displayed  the  utmost  courage,  and 
determined  resolution  to  conquer  or  perish  in  the 
conflict.  Defeat  would  have  been  ruinous.  There 
fore  all  the  companies  vied  with  each  other  in  en 
deavoring  to  render  the  country  the  most  impor 
tant  service.  The  victory  was  complete  on  the  part 


72        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

of  the  Americans.  The  battle  continued  about  30 
minutes,  and  was  fought  about  three  o'clock  P.  M. 
on  Christmas  day,  at  Brazito,  twenty-five  miles 
from  El  Paso. 

Not  more  than  five  hundred  of  Col.  Doniphan's 
men  were  present  when  the  battle  commenced.  The 
rest  fell  into  line  as  they  were  able  to  reach  the 
scene  of  action.  Those  who  had  been  far  in  the  rear 
during  the  day,  when  they  heard  the  firing,  came 
running  in  haste  with  their  arms  in  their  hands,  to 
bring  aid  to  their  comrades,  who  were  then  engag 
ed  with  the  enemy.  This  created  such  a  dust  that 
the  enemy  supposed  a  strong  reinforcement  was 
marching  to  our  support.  This  circumstance,  also, 
contributed  to  strike  terror  into  the  Mexican  ranks. 

By  this  defeat,  the  Mexican  army  was  com 
pletely  disorganized  and  dispersed.  The  volunteer 
troops  returned  with  the  utmost  expedition  to  their 
respective  homes ;  while  the  regular  troops  continu 
ed  their  flight  to  Chihuahua,  scarcely  halting  for  re 
freshments  in  El  Paso.  On  the  retreat  many  of 
the  wounded  died.  Several  were  found  dead  by 
the  road  side,  and  the  chaparral  near  the  battle  field 
was  stained  with  the  blood  of  {he  retreating  foe. 
The  field  was  all  trophied  over  with  the  spoils  of  the 
slain  and  vanquished.  Martial  accoutrements, 
sacks  and  wallets  of  provisions,  and  gourds  of  de 
licious  wines  of  El  Paso,  were  profusely  scattered 
over  miles  of  surface.  These  supplied  our  soldiers 
with  a  Christmas  banquet.  The  whole  affair  re 
sembled  a  Christmas  frolic.  This  night  the  men  en 
camped  on  the  same  spot  where  they  were,  when  at 
tacked  by  the  Mexicans.  Having  ate  the  bread  and 
drank  the  wine  which  were  taken  in  the  engagement 
they  reposed  on  their  arms,  protected  by  a  strong 
guard. 

On  the  following    morning    the     dead    were 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.        73 

buried,  and  the  wounded  Mexican  prisoners  com 
fortably  provided  with  means  of  conveyance  to  El 
Paso.  Every  needful  attention  was  given  our 
wounded  by  the  surgeons.  The  column  now,  in 
perfect  order,  with  the  baggage,  provision,  hospital, 
ammunition,  and  merchant's  train  in  the  rear,  and 
a  strong  rear  and  front  guard,  and  a  party  of  flank 
ers  on  the  right  and  left,  moved  cautiously  in  the 
direction  of  El  Paso  ,  apprehending  another  attack. 
After  an  advance  of  fifteen  miles,  camp  was  selected 
near  a  small  salt  lake,  where  there  was  a  moderate 
supply  of  natural  forage,  such  as  grass  and  rushes. 
From  this  point  Col.  Doniphan  sent  back  an  express 
for  the  artillery  to  hasten  forward,  for  he  anticipated 
strenuous  opposition  at  El  Paso. 

While  encamped  here  one  of  the  picket  guards, 
discovering  a  party  of  Mexicans  passing  along  the 
base  of  the  mountains  towards  the  east,  in  which 
they  had  taken  shelter  during  the  day,  endeavoring 
to  make  good  their  retreat  to  El  Paso,  under  cover 
ing  of  the  night,  fired  upon  them.  This  produced 
an  alarm  in  the  camp.  The  men  were  cooking  their 
suppers ;  some  of  them  had  spread  their  beds  for 
repose.  Col.  Doniphan  ordered  the  fires  to  be  ex 
tinguished.  Whatever  was  in  the  vessels,  on  the 
fire  cooking,  was  now  turned  topsy-turvy  in  the  ef 
fort  to  put  out  the  light.  For  a  moment  all  was 
confusion.  Quickly,  however,  Col.  Doniphan  drew 
up  his  men  in  line  of  battle,  and  waited  the  ap 
proach  of  the  enemy.  Lieutenant-colonel  Jackson 
in  the  hurry  to  parade  his  men  mounted  his  mule 
bare-back,  with  his  sword  and  shot  gun.  Many 
of  the  men  were  in  the  ranks  barefoot,  and  only 
half  clad;  for  they  had  been  roused  from  their 
slumber.  Finally  no  enemy  appearing,  the  soldiers 
were  ordered  to  repair  to  their  tents,  and  sleep  on 
their  arms,  they  ran,  leaping,  and  hallooine*.  and 


74        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

cursing  the  false  alarm.  Before  day  another  false 
alarm  called  them  out  in  a  similar  manner.  There 
fore,  this  night  the  soldiers  were  much  vexed. 

The  same  order  of  march  which  had  been  adop 
ted  on  the  previous  day  was  continued  on  the  2/th, 
until  the  column  reached  El  Paso.  On  arriving  at 
the  Great  Pass,  or  gorge  in  the  mountains,  through 
which  the  river  appeared  to  have  forced  its  way, 
debouching  into  the  valley  below,  over  a  system  of 
rocky  falls,  in  dashing  cataracts;  the  colonel  was 
met  by  a  deputation  of  citizens  from  El  Paso,  bear 
ing  a  white  flag,  proposing  terms  of  peace,  offering 
to  surrender  the  place  into  his  hands,  beseeching 
at  the  same  time  that  he  would  use  his  clemency  to 
ward  them,  in  sparing  their  lives,  and  protecting 
their  property.  This  the  colonel  was  inclined  to  do. 
It  was  now  about  six  miles  to  the  city.  All  moved 
on,  rejoicing  in  the  prospect  of  rest,  and  something 
to  appease  the  appetite.  Thus  on  the  27th  the  city 
of  El  Paso  was  possessed  by  the  American  troops 
without  further  opposition  or  greater  effusion  of 
blood.  It  was  now  night.  Therefore  the  soldiers 
encamped  and  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  a  little  re 
pose. 

The  men,  at  first  were  encamped  on  a  bare  spot 
of  earth,  south  of  the  Plaza,  where  the  wind  drove 
the  sand  furiously  through  the  camp,  dreadfully  an 
noying  both  man  and  beast.  In  this  comfortless 
situation  the  soldiers  remained  for  several  days. 
At  length  after  great  suffering  from  the  driven 
sands,  which  filled  the  eyes,  nostrils,  and  mouth  to 
suffocation,  the  men  were  quartered  in  houses  near 
the  square. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  Col.  Doniphan,  after 
taking  possession  of  El  Paso,  was  the  liberating  of 
three  American  citizens  who,  without  crime,  had 
been  immured  in  a  dungeon  for  five  months  and 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        75 

one  day.  Thus  have  Americans  been  deprived  of 
their  liberty  in  Mexico.  Col.  Doniphan  was  their 
deliverer. 

These  three  American  citizens,  Hudson,  Pol 
lard,  and  Hutchinson,  had  started  from  Van  Buren 
in  Arkansas,  with  the  view  of  proceeding  to  Upper 
California,  where  they  intended  settling,  and  arriving 
safely  in  Santa  Fe,  they  agreed  to  hire  Graham,  a 
Scotchman,  to  pilot  them  through  the  mountains 
to  San  Diego.  Having  purchassed  an  outfit  at  Santa 
Fe,  they  were  conducted  by  Graham  down  the  Del 
Norte  to  El  Paso,  who  told  them  the  best  route  led 
from  that  place  to  Guadaloupe  Calvo,  and  thence, 
by  San  Bernadino,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Gila, 
whence  the  could  easily  arrive  at  San  Diego.  They 
followed  their  pilot.  On  reaching  El  Paso,  how 
ever,  Graham  become  intoxicated  and  informed 
against  them,  representing  to  the  Prefecto  of  that 
place,  that  they  were  Texan  spies ;  whereupon  they 
were  apprehended  and  lodged  in  prison,  where  they 
lay  until  delivered  by  the  American  army. 


On  to  Chihuahua. 

Col.  Doniphan  delayed  at  El  Paso  forty-two 
days,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  artillery,  under 
Major  Clark  and  Capt.  Weightman,  which  he  had 
ordered  Col.  Price  to  forward  him  on  the  route  to 
Chihuahua,  immediately  upon  his  return  from  the 
Indian  campaign.  Col  Price  having  his  mind  turned 
on  quelling  the  conspiracy  which  had  been  plotted  by 
Gen.  Archulette,  and  fearing  that  if  he  should  send 
the  artillery  away,  that  it  would  too  much  weaken 
his  force,  and  embolden  the  conspirators,  hesitated 
several  weeks  before  he  would  comply  with  the  or 
der.  At  length,  however,  he  dispatched  Major 


76        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

Clark  with  one  hundred  and  seventeen  men,  and 
six  pieces  of  cannon,  four  six-pounders,  and  two 
twelve-pound  howitzers;  which  after  indefatigable 
exertion,  and  incessant  toiling  through  the  heavy 
snows,  arrived  at  El  Paso  on  the  ist  of  February. 
On  the  8th,  the  whole  army,  the  merchant, 
baggage,  commissary,  hospital,  sutler,  and  ammuni 
tion  trains,  and  all  the  stragglers,  amateurs,  and 
gentlemen  of  leisure,  under  flying  colors,  presenting 
the  most  martial  aspect,  set  out  with  boyant  hopes 
for  the  city  of  Chihuahua.  There  the  soldiers  ex 
pected  to  reap  undying  fame, — to  gain  a  glorious 
victory — or  perish  on  the  field  of  honor.  Nothing 
certain  could  be  learned  of  the  movements  of  Gen. 
Wool's  column,  which  at  first  was  destined  to  open 
against  Chihuahua.  Col.  Doniphan's  orders  were 
merely  to  report  to  Gen.  Wool  at  that  place,  not  to 
invade  the  State.  Vague  and  uncertain  information 
had  been  obtained  through  the  Mexicans,  that  Gen. 
Wool's  advance  had,  at  one  time,  reached  Parras ; 
but  that  the  whole  column  had  suddenly  deflected  to 
the  left,  for  some  cause  to  them  and  us  equally  un 
known.  Thus  was  Col.  Doniphan  circumstanced. 
With  an  army  less  than  one  thousand  strong,  he 
was  on  his  march,  leading  through  inhospitable, 
sandy  wastes,  against  a  powerful  city,  which  had 
been  deemed  of  so  much  importance,  by  the  gov 
ernment,  that  Gen.  Wool  with  3,500  men,  and  a 
heavy  park  of  artillery,  had  been  directed  thither 
to  effect  its  subjugation.  What,  then,  must  have 
been  the  feeling  of  Col.  Doniphan  and  his  men, 
when  they  saw  the  States  of  Chihuahua  and  Dur- 
ango  in  arms  to  receive  them,  not  the  remotest  pros 
pect  of  succor  from  Gen.  Wool,  and  intervening, 
and  unpeopled  deserts  precluding  the  possibility  of 
sucessful  retreat?  "Victory  or  death,"  were  the 
two  alternatives.  Yet  there  was  no  faltering, — • 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        77 

no  pale  faces, — no  dismayed  hearts.  At  this  crisis, 
had  Col.  Doniphan  inquired  of  his  men  what  was  to 
be  done,  the  response  would  have  been  unanimously 
given,  lead  us  on.  But  he  need  not  to  make  the 
inquiry,  for  he  saw  depicted  in  every  countenance, 
the  fixed  resolve  "to  do  or  die."  Col.  Doniphan's 
responsibility  was  therefore  very  great.  The  un 
dertaking  was  stupendous.  His  success  was  brill 
iant  and  unparalleled!  Who  then  will  deny  him 
the  just  meed  of  applause. 

A  deep  gloom  enshrouded  the  State  of  Mis 
souri.  Being  apprised  of  General  Wool's  move 
ments,  the  people  of  the  state  were  enabled  to  ap 
preciate  the  full  extent  of  the  danger  which  threat 
ened  to  overwhelm  us.  They  saw  our  imminently 
perilous  situation.  They  felt  for  the  unsuccored 
army.  The  executive,  himself,  was  moved  with 
sympathy,  and  fearful  apprehension  for  its  safety. 
But  neither  he  nor  the  people  could  avert  the  com 
ing  storm,  or  convey  timely  warning  to  the  com 
mander  of  this  forlorn  hope.  He  had  therefore 
to  rely  upon  steel  and  the  courage  of  his  men. 
This  event  is  known. 

The  colonel  took  with  him  Ramond  Ortiz,  Pino 
and  three  other  influential  men  of  the  malcontents, 
as  hostage  for  the  future  good  behavior  of  the  in 
habitants  of  El  Paso.  "By  this  means  the  safety  of 
traders  and  all  other  persons  passing  up  and  down 
the  country,  was  guaranteed;  for  they  were  fore 
warned  that  if  any  depredations  were  committed  up 
on  citizens  of  the  United  States,  at  El  Paso,  they 
would  be  put  to  death." 


Cupid  Conquers  Two  Soldiers. 

Since  that  time  no  outrage  had  been  perpetrated 
at  El  Paso,  upon  any  American  citizen.     It  was  at 


78        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

El  Paso  that  two  American  soldiers  conceived  for 
two  fair,  young  Mexican  girls,  an  affection  so  strong 
and  ardent  that  they  did  not  choose  to  march  any 
further  with  the  army.  Having  marched  with 
their  company  one  or  two  clays,  they  deserted  camp, 
at  night,  and  returned  to  those  they  loved  and  in 
a  short  time  married  them. 

On  the  evening  of  the  I2th  the  column  reached 
a  point  on  the  Del  Norte,  about  fifty  miles  below 
El  Paso,  where  the  road,  turning  to  the  right, 
strikes  off  at  right  angles  with  the  river  across  the 
Jornada  of  sixty-five  miles  in  extent,  running 
through  deep  sand  drifts,  nearly  the  whole  way. 
On  this  desert-track  there  is  not  one  drop  of  water. 
Here,  therefore,  the  command  came  to  a  halt,  and 
tarried  one  day,  that  the  men  might  prepare  victuals 
and  such  a  supply  of  water,  as  they  had  means  of 
conveying  along  with  them,  for  the  desert  journey. 

Col.  Doniphan  now  called  upon  the  merchant 
caravan  to  meet  and  organize  themselves  into 
companies,  and  elect  officers  to  command  them. 
This  he  did  that  he  might  avail  himself  of  their  sen- 
vices,  in  the  event  that  the  troops,  which  he  already 
had,  should  not  prove  sufficiently  strong  to  cope 
with  the  enemy  at  Chihuahua.  The  merchants  and 
teamsters  in  their  employ  were  quickly  organized 
into  effective  companies,  under  Capts.  Skillman 
and  Glasgow,  forming  a  batallion  commanded  by 
Samuel  C.  Owens  of  Independence,  whom  thsy 
elected  as  major. 

This  was  a  very  effective  corps,  for  both  the 
merchants  and  teamsters  were  well  armed,  and 
were  very  brave  men.  Besides  having  a  large  capi 
tal  invested  in  merchandize,  they  had  the  double 
incentive  to  fight  bravely,  first  for  their  property, 
and  then  for  their  lives.  These  numbered  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  well  armed  men.  Here  all 


INCIDENTS  OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.        79 

the  Mexican  powder  and  other  munitions  of  war, 
which  the  Colonel  had  taken  at  El  Paso,  and  for 
which  he  had  not  the  means  of  transportation, 
were  destroyed.  The  powder  was  burnt  and  the 
cannister  shot  and  arms  thrown  into  the  river. 


Dishonorable  Conduct  of  Traders. 

A  few  days  previous  to  this,  Cufford  and 
Gentry,  a  strong  firm,  the  former  an  Englishman 
and  the  latter  an  American,  both  traveling  with 
British  passports,  secretly  and  dishonorably  aban 
doned  the  merchants  caravan  and,  contrary  to  their 
promise  to  Col.  Doniphan,  slipped  off  at  night  with 
forty-five  wagons,  and  hastened  on  to  Chihuahua, 
and  from  thence  to  Zacateccas. 

Now,  Harmony,  a  Spaniard,  and  Porus,  a 
Mexican,  fearing  lest  Doniphan  might  be  defeated 
at  Chihuahua,  were  loath  to  proceed  with  their 
wagons  any  farther,  and  desired  to  turn  back  to 
El  Paso,  and  there  make  sale  of  their  merchandize. 
This  could  not  be  permitted  without  endangering 
the  safety  of  all ;  for  the  only  safety  was  in  union. 
Therefore  Lieutenant-colonel  Mitchell,  Capt.  Reid, 
and  Lieut.  Choteau,  with  sixteen  men  went  back 
several  miles  to  compell  these  men  to  bring  up  their 
trains.  At  first  they  pretended  that  the  Apaches 
had  stolen  all  their  mules,  wherefore  they  could  not 
move  their  wagons.  But  being  threatened  they 
soon  brought  their  animals  from  a  place  where  they 
had  purposely  concealed  them,  that  they  might  De 
permitted  to  remain.  In  a  short  time  they  were 
brought  up,  and  forbid  to  leave  the  army  again. 


Terrible  Hardships  Encountered. 
Having  buried  two  brave  men,  Maxwell  and 
Wills,  on  the  I4th  the  army  bade  adieu  to  the  Great 


80        INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

River  of  the  North,,  and  commenced  its  march  upon 
the  dreadful  desert.  Some  of  the  men,  having  no 
canteens,  or  other  ways  of  carrying  water,  filled  the 
sheaths  of  their  sabres,  and  swung  the  naked  blade 
jingling  at  their  side.  'C.  F.  Hughes,  quartermas 
ter-sergeant,  had  terrible  work  to  force  the  trains 
along  through  the  heavy  sand-drifts.  Oftentimes 
he  was  compelled  to  double  his  teams,  and  have  a 
dozen  or  more  men  rolling  at  the  wheels,  to  induce 
the  wagons  to  move  at  all.  The  mules  were  weak 
and  sunk  up  to  their  knees  in  the  sand ;  the  wagons 
stood  almost  buried  to  the  hubs.  Thus  were  they 
embarrassed.  The  teams  could  not  move  them. 
The  soldiers  and  teamsters  would  often  leap  from 
their  horses  and  mules  and  roll  the  wagons  along 
with  their  hands  until  they  got  where  the  sand  was 
lighter.  Thus  it  was  all  through  the  desert.  Af 
ter  an  arduous  march  of  twenty  miles,  the  army  en 
camped  upon  the  plain  without  food  or  water. 
On  the  next  day  toward  sunset  the  army  passed 
through  a  gap  or  canon  in  a  range  of  mountains 
which  traverses  the  desert  from  north  to  south. 
This  mountain  shoots  up  abruptly  from  the  plain 
into  an  innumerable  set  of  knobs  and  rocky  peaks 
consisting  of  dark  iron  colored,  masses  of  basalt 
and  pudding  stone,  and  in  some  cases  of  volcanic 
cinders.  At  this  point  Lieut.  Gordon,  and  Collins, 
interperter,  with  twelve  other  men,  fell  in  com 
pany  with  Kirker's  scouting  party,  which  had  been 
in  advance  several  days.  Kirker's  party  consisted 
of  eight  men.  The  whole  now,  being  twenty-three 
in  number,  under  Lieut.  Gordon,-  proceeded  far  in 
advance  of  the  army  by  direction  from  the  colonel, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  a  reconnoissance  at  Car- 
rizal,  where  they  had  understood  a  body  of  Mexi 
cans  were  posted.  This  place  is  on  the  other  side 
of  the  desert.  Before  their  arrival  there  the  Mexi- 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        81 

can  soldiery  abandoned  the  place.  Therefore  they 
entered  it  and  took  military  posession  in  the  name  of 
the  United  States'  government,  the  Alcalde,  with 
out  offering  the  slightest  resistance,  giving  a  written 
certificate  of  submission,  in  which  he  claimed  the 
colonel's  clemency  and  threw  himself  upon  the  gen 
erosity  of  the  American  army.  He  was  not  dis 
appointed  in  receiving  the  amplest  protection.  By 
this  time  there  was  not  a  drop  of  water  in  the  can 
teens,  and  all  were  suffering  extremely  with  thirst. 
At  this  hour  one  of  the  artillery-men  came  up  from 
Santa  Fe,  having  in  possession  the  United  States' 
mail ;  the  only  one  of  consequence  which  had  been 
received  for  six  months.  Though  at  this  crisis 
nothing  could  have  been  more  refreshing  to  the  body 
as  cool  water,  yet  newspapers  and  letters  from  home 
had  a  wonderful  tailsmanic  influence  on  the  mind. 
Not  a  word,  however,  could  be  learned  of  the  move 
ments  of  the  army  of  Gen.  Wool.  After  a  toilsome 
march  of  twenty-four  miles,  about  midnight  the 
column  halted  to  allow  the  men  and  animals  a 
little  rest.  But  they  had  no  refreshments;  and  the 
men  were  again  obliged  to  spend  the  night  without 
their  suppers  and  without  water.  The  animals  also 
were  nearly  perishing  with  thirst.  It  was  now  still 
twenty-one  miles  to  water ;  over  a  heavy  sandy  road 
and  the  teams  were  already  become  feeble  and 
broken  down.  Ortiz,  the  benevolent  curate,  al 
though  a  prisoner,  and  under  a  strict  guard,  gen 
erously  gave  many  of  the  soldiers  a  draught  of 
water,  which  he  had  provided  to  be  brought  from 
the  Del  Norte  in  a  water  vessel.  For  this  and  other 
instances  of  kindness  toward  the  Americans,  we 
made  grateful  acknowledgement. 


Burning  Thirst  is  Quenched. 
The  next  morning  by  day-dawn  the  army  was 


82        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

on  the  march.  The  mules  and  horses  were  neighing 
and  crying  piteously  for  water.  Some  of  them  were 
too  weak  to  proceed  farther.  They  were  abandon 
ed.  Notwithstanding  the  eagerness  of  the  men  to 
get  to  water,  a  strong  rear  and  front  guard  were  de 
tailed  as  usual,  to  prevent  surprise  by  the  enemy. 
Toward  night  when  the  columns  had  arrived  within 
five  miles  of  the  Laguna  de  los  Patos,  the  men 
could  no  longer  be  restrained  in  the  lines,  but  in 
the  greatest  impatience  hurried  on  in  groups  to 
quench  their  burning  thirst. — The  commander .  see 
ing  this,  and  knowing  how  his  men  suffered, (for 
he  too  suffered  equally  with  them)  did  not  attempt 
to  prevent  it,  but  taking  his  whole  force  hastened  on 
to  the  lake  as  quickly  as  possible,  that  all  might  be 
satisfied;  having  left  an  order  for  Capt.  Parsons, 
who  commanded  the  rear  guard  that  day,  to  leave 
the  trains,  that  his  men  might  have  water  and  rest. 
Tt  was  near  sunset.  Meanwhile  the  quartermaster- 
sergeant,  and  the  resolute  and  hardy  teamsters  had 
the  task  of  a  Hercules  before  them  in  bringing  up 
the  trains  through  the  deep  heavy  sand  drifts. 
Having  arrived  within  about  ten  miles  of  the  La 
guna,  they  found  it  impossible  to  advance  farther. 
The  rear  guard  had  left  them  with  the  view  of  get 
ting  water  and  then  returning.  They  were  some 
times  compelled  to  quadruple  the  teams  to  move  a 
wagon  through  the  deep  sand.  The  animals  were 
dying  of  thirst  and  fatigue.  Thirty-six  yoke  of 
oxen  had  been  turned  loose.  Two  wagons  were 
abandoned  amidst  the  sand  hils.  Eight  thousand 
pounds  of  flour  and  several  barrels  of  salt  had  been 
thrown  out  upon  the  ground.  Also  some  sutlers 
threw  away  their  heavy  commodities  which  they 
could  not  transport.  The  trains  never  could  have 
proceeded  ten  miles  farther.  But  the  God  who 
made  the  fountain  leap  from  the  rock  to  quench  the 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        83 

thirst  of  the  Israelitish  army  in  the  desert,  now  sent 
a  cloud  which  hung  over  the  summits  of  the  moun 
tains  to  the  right,  and  such  a  copious  shower  of  rain 
descended,  that  the  mountain  torrents  came  rushing 
and  foaming  down  from  the  rocks  and  spread  out 
upon  the  plains  in  such  quantities,  that  both  the 
men  and  animals  were  filled.  Therefore,  they 
stayed  all  night  at  this  place  where  the  God-send  had 
blessed  them,  and  being  much  refreshed,  next  morn 
ing  passed  out  of  the  desert.  All  were  now  at  La- 
guna  de  los  Patos,  where  they  stayed  one  day  to 
recruit  and  gain  strength.  This  is  a  beautiful  lake 
of  fresh  water.  It  was  here  that  W.  Trolley,  a 
volunteer,  who,  as  it  is  said,  left  a  charming  young 
bride  at  home,  drank  so  excessively  of  the  cool,  re 
freshing  element  after  so  many  days  of  toil  on  the 
desert,  that  he  soon  died.  He  was  buried  near  the 
margin  of  the  lake.  Thus  the  army  passed  the 
desert  sixty-five  miles  in  extent. 


A  Noah's  Flood  Theory. 

On  the  morning  of  the  i8th,  the  column  and 
trains  were  again  in  motion.  C.  F.  Hughes,  in  con 
sideration  of  the  service  he  had  rendered  in  passing 
the  desert,  was  now  relieved  from  further  duty  by 
Mr.  Harrison.  To  the  right,  at  the  distance  of  sev 
eral  miles  from  the  Laguna,  rises  a  stupendous, 
pyramidal  rock,  many  thousand  feet  high.  The 
existance  of  such  abrupt,  detached,  masses  of  moun 
tains,  shows  that  the  earth  by  some  wonderful 
agency,  has  been  convulsed  and  upheaved.  Who* 
will  say  the  flood,  which  inundated  the  Old  World, 
may  not  have  been  produced  by  the  sudden  up- 
heavement,  and  emergement  of  the  Western  Conti 
nent,  from  the  ocean,  by  some  All-powerful  Agency  ? 


84        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

A  march  of  eighteen  miles  brought  the  army  to 
Carrizal,  where  there  was  much  cool  and  delightful 
water,  and  where  forage  was  obtained  in  abundance. 

At  meridian  on  Sunday  the  2ist,  the  command 
reached  the  celebrated  Ojo  Caliente,  or  Warm 
Spring,  where  the  men  were  again  permitted  to 
rest  a  few  hours,  and  make  preparation  for  crossing 
another  desert  forty-five  miles  wide  without  water. 
From  this  place  Capt.  Skillman,  with  twelve  vol 
unteers,  was  dispatched  to  the  Laguna  de  Encenil- 
las,  to  keep  up  a  close  espionage  on  the  movement  of 
the  enemy,  for  it  was  now  anticipated  that  he  would 
give  battle  at  that  place.  The  Ojo  Caliente  is  at  the 
base  of  a  ledge  of  rocky  hills,  and  furnishes  a  vast 
volume  of  water  about  blood-warm,  which  runs  off 
in  the  direction  of  the  Patos.  The  basin  of  the 
spring  is  about  one-hundred  and  twenty  feet  long, 
and  seventy-five  wide  with  an  average  depth  of  four 
feet.  The  bottom  consists  of  sparkling  white  sand, 
and  the  water  is  perfectly  transparent.  No  effort 
by  disturbing  the  sand,  was  sufficient  to  becloud,  or 
muddy  the  crystal  water.  Col.  Doniphan,  and  many 
of  his  officers  and  men  enjoyed  the  most  luxurious, 
and  rejuvinescent  bathing.  Thus  refreshed,  the 
march  was  commenced  upon  the  desert.  Having 
advanced  twelve  miles,  the  men  were  encamped  up 
on  the  plains,  without  food  or  water,  indispensable 
requisites  for  comfort  in  a  military  camp  after  a 
hard  day's  march. 

Continuing  the  march  the  next  day  a  canon  was 
passed  in  a  high  and  craggy  range  of  mountains, 
traversing  the  desert.  The  hugh  masses  of  basalt, 
which  rise,  in  many  places,  two  thousand  feet  almost 
perpendicular,  were  capped  with  snow.  Having 
completed  twenty-two  miles,  the  men  halted  for  the 
night  on  a  rocky,  flinty  spot  of  earth,  where  there 
was  neither  wood,  water,  nor  grass.  Nor  was  it  pos- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        85 

sible  for  the  men  to  have  the  least  comfort,  for  it 
was  extremely  cold.  They  tethered  their  animals, 
and  wrapping  themselves  up  in  their  blankets,  lay 
down  on  the  earth  without  their  suppers. 

The  next  day  we  marched  twelve  miles,  and 
came  to  the  Guyagas  springs.  These  issue  in  leap 
ing,  gushing,  cool  streamlets,  out  from  the  western 
base  of  a  system  of  rocky  bluffs,  and  refresh  the 
neighboring  plains.  Here  the  men  and  animals 
slaked  their  burning  thirst.  Under  the  jetting 
rocks  and  archways,  of  the  mountain  range,  were 
seen  dependent  spars,  crystals  of  quartz,  and  the 
most  brilliant  stalactites.  Here  a  drove  of  twelve 
or  thirteen  antelopes,  which  had  been  feeding  on  the 
sides  of  the  cliffs,  seeing  the  men  marching,  and  the 
banners  and  guidons  fluttering,  were  afrighted  at  the 
unusual  sight,  and  came  bounding  down  from  the 
rocks,  as  though  they  would  break  through  the 
ranks,  but  as  they  neared  tU$  lines  the  men  fired  up 
on  and  killed  them  all  while  bounding  along. 
They  were  used  for  food.  This  evidence  of  marks 
manship  struck  the  Mexican  prisoners  with  as 
tonishment,  and  caused  them  more  than  ever  to 
dread  the  American  rifles.  Here  in  a  narrow  val 
ley,  with  lofty,  rocky  ridges  on  either  hand,  the  men 
were  dismounted  and  allowed  to  rest  for  the  night; 
during  which  M.  Robards,  a  good  soldier,  died  and 
was  buried. 


The  Return  of  the  Spies. 

From  thence  they  marched  the  next  day  fifteen 
miles,  and  again  encamped  on  the  plains,  without 
food  or  water.  Here  part  of  the  spies  returned 
and  reported  that  there  were  seven  hundred  Mexi 
cans  at  Encenillas  with  artillery.  Early  the  follow 
ing  morning  (which  was  the  25th,)  Col.  Doniphan 


86        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

drew  up  his  forces  in  order  of  battle,  and  marched 
over  to  the  north  margin  of  the  lake.  He  here  al 
lowed  his  men  a  short  respite,  and  some  refresh 
ments.  This  lake  is  about  twenty  miles  long  and 
three  miles  wide,  and  at  the  point  where  the  army 
first  encamped,  there  were  near  the  margin  white 
efflorescences  of  soda  on  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
Either  this  efflorenscent  soda,  or  the  water  of  the 
lake,  when  put  in  flour,  will  quickly  cause  it  to  rise 
or  leaven.  It  was  used  instead  of  saleratus. 

While  nooning,  the  fire  from  some  of  the  tents 
caught  into  the  tall,  dry  grass,  and  by  a  high  wind 
was  furiously  driven  over  the  plains,  threatening 
destruction  to  everything  before  it.  In  a  short  time 
the  fire  which  had  broke  out  in  similar  manner  from 
the  camp  at  the  Guyagas  springs,  having  almost 
kept  pace  with  the  army,  came  bursting  and  sweep 
ing  terribly  over  the  summits  of  the  mountains,  and 
descending  into  the  valley,  united  with  the  fire  on 
the  margin  of  the  lake. 


A  Successful  Fire  Fighter. 

The  flames  rose  in  dashing-  and  bursting  waves 
twenty  feet  high,  and  threatened  to  devour  the 
whole  train.  The  army  was  now  put  upon  the 
march,  and  the  trains  endeavored  to  advance  before 
the  flames;  but  in  vain.  The  winds  blew  steadily 
and  powerfully  in  the  direction  the  army  was  march 
ing.  The  conflagration,  gaining  new  strength  from 
every  puff  of  wind,  came  raging  and  sweeping  like 
a  wave.  The  column  of  flame,  displaying  a  front 
of  many  miles,  steadily  advanced  along  the  margin 
of  the  lake.  This  was  a  more  terrible  foe  than  an 
"army  with  banners."  The  fire  now  gained  upon 
the  trains.  The  ammunition  wagons  narrowly  es 
caped.  The  artillery  was  run  into  the  lake.  Some 
of  the  wagons  still  passed  onward. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.        87 

The  road  runs  parallel  to  the  lake,  and  about 
two  hundred  yards  from  it.  Col.  Doniphan  and  his 
men  endeavored  to  trample  down  the  grass  from  the 
road  to  the  lake,  in  a  narrow  list,  by  frequently  rid 
ing  over  the  same  ground.  They  also  rode  their 
horses  in  to  the  water  and  then  quickly  turned  them 
upon  the  place  where  the  grass  was  trodden  down, 
that  they  might  moisten  it,  and  thereby  stop  the 
progress  of  the  fire,  but  still  the  flames  past  over  and 
heedlessly  swept  along.  Capt.  Reid  with  the 
"Horse  Guards."  adopting  a  different  plan,  upon 
the  suggestion  of  a  private,  ordered  his  men  to  dis 
mount  about  two  miles  in  advance  of  the  trains,  and 
with  their  sabres  hew  and  chop  down  the  grass 
from  the  road  to  the  lake,  on  a  %  space  thirty  feet 
broad,  and  throw  the  cut  grass  out  leeward.  This 
was  done.  Fire  was  now  set  to  the  grass  standing 
next  to  the  wind,  which  burned  slowly  until  it  met 
the  advancing  conflagration.  Thus  the  fire  was 
checked  on  one  side  of  the  road. 

On  the  other  side  the  volume  of  flames,  in 
creasing  as  the  gale  rose,  rolled  along  the  plain, 
and  over  the  mountains,  roaring  and  crackling,  and 
careering  in  its  resistless  course,  until  the  fuel 
which  fed  it  was  exhausted.  The  men  spent  the 
night  on  the  bare  and  blackened  earth,  and  the  ani 
mals  stood  to  their  tethers  without  forage. 

On  the  south-western  side  of  this  lake,  and  near 
its  margin,  stands  the  princely  hacienda  of  Don  An 
gel  Trias,  governor  of  Chihuahua.  On  this  estate 
immense  herds  of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep  are  pro 
duced.  But  the  Mexican  soldiers,  seven  hundred  of 
whom  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-fifth  had  been 
seen  at  the  hacienda,  had  driven  them  all  off  to  pre 
vent  the  Americans  subsisting  upon  them.  On  the 
night  of  the  25th,  and  before  it  was  known  that 
the  soldiers  had  evacuated  the  post,  Capt.  Reid, 


88        INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

with  twenty-five  of  the  "Horse  Guards,"  volunteer 
ed  to  make  a  reconnoissance  of  the  enemy,  and  re 
port  his  position  and  strength.  As,  in  the  event 
the  enemy  was  still  occupying  his  position  at  the 
hacienda,  a  strong  guard  would  most  probably  be 
posted  near  the  roads  leading  into  the  place  from 
above  and  below  the  lake,  the  scout,  to  prevent 
falling  upon  the  guards,  and  to  take  the  enemy  by 
surprise  ,  if  it  should  be  deemed  advisable  to  attack 
him,  crossed  the  lake,  which  was  near  three  miles 
wide  and  both  deep  and  boggy,  and  hitherto  con 
sidered  impassable  reaching  the  opposite  side  they 
saw  no  sentinel.  Therefore  they  approached 
nearer.  Still  they  saw  no  sentry.  Cautiously,  and 
with  light  footsteps,  and  in  almost  breathless  silence, 
without  a  whisper  or  the  jingling  of  a  sabre,  and 
under  covering  of  the  dark,  they  advanced  a  little. 
They  heard  the  sound  of  music,  and  at  intervals 
the  trampling  of  horses.  Perhaps  it  was  the  mili 
tary  patrol.  None  knew. 


A  Bold  and  Daring  Exploit. 

They  now  rode  around  the  hacienda;  but  the 
high  walls  precluded  the  possibility  of  seeing  within. 

No  satisfactory  reconnoissance  could,  therefore, 
be  made.  Not  wishing  to  return  to  camp  without 
effecting  their  object,  the  captain  and  his  men, 
like  McDonald  and  his  mad-caps  at  Georgetown, 
made  a  sweeping  dash,  with  drawn  sabre  and  clat 
tering  arms,  into  the  hacienda,  to  the  infinite  alarm 
of  the  inhabitants.  They  now  had  possession. 
The  seven  hundred  soldiers  had  started  about  an 
hour  previous  for  Sacramento.  This  was  a  bold  and 

hazardous  exploit.  Then  they  quartered  in  the 
place,  which  contained  several  hundred  inhabitants, 
and  were  sumptuously  entertained  by  the  Adminis- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.        89 

trader  del  Hacienda.  The  next  morning  they  re 
joined  the  army  then  on  the  march,  having  with 
them  several  wild  Mexican  cattle.  The  whole  force 
now  moved  on  to  a  fort  called  Sanz,  on  a  creek  dis 
charging  into  the  Laguna  de  Encenillas.  Here  they 
camped. 

The  next  day  the  army  and  trains,  including 
the  merchant  wagons,  were  drawn  up  in  order  ot 
battle,  ready  to  manoeuver  expeditiously  in  the 
event  of  a  sudden  attack.  The  enemy  was  known  to 
be  at  no  great  distance.  Thus  the  march  was  con 
tinued  until  night  over  a  level,  beautiful  valley, 
with  a  high  range  of  mountains  running  along  on 
the  left,  and,  and  a  greater  distance,  also  on  the 
right.  A  short  time  before  sunset  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Mitchell,  Lieutenants  Winston  and  Sproule, 
Corporal  Goodfellow,  the  author  and  one  other  vol 
unteer,  having  proceeded  about  nine  miles  in  ad 
vance  of  the  column,  and  within  five  miles  of  the 
enemy's  fortified  position  at  Sacramento,  ascended 
a  high,  rocky  peak  of  the  mountain,  and  with  good 
telescopes,  enjoyed  a  fair  view  of  the  whole  Mexi- 
ccan  encampment.  The  enemy's  whole  line  of  field 
works  was  distinctly  viewed;  the  position  of  his 
batteries  ascertained;  and  his  whole  probable  num 
ber  estimated.  The  result  of  this  reconnoissance 
was  duly  reported  to  Col.  Doniphan,  whereupon  he 
immediately  called  a  council  of  officers,  and  matured 
a  plan  for  the  conduct  of  the  march  on  the  fol 
lowing  day.  This  night  also  the  army  encamped  on 
a  tributary  of  the  lake  of  Encenillas. 


The  Enemy  in  Sight. 

On  Sunday,  the  28th  of  February,  a  bright  and 
auspicious  day,  the  American  army,  under  Col. 
Doniphan,  arrived  in  sight  of  the  Mexican  en- 


90        INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

campment  at  Sacramento,  which  could  be  distinct 
ly  seen  at  the  distance  of  four  miles.  His  com 
mand  consisted  of  the  following  corps  and  de 
tachments  of  troops. 

The  ist  regiment,  Col.  Doniphan,  numbering 
about  eight  hundred  men ;  Lieutenant-colonel 
Mitchell's  escort,  ninety-seven  men;  artillery  bat 
talion,  Major  Clark  and  Captain  Weightman,  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  men,,  with  a  light  field  bat 
tery  of  six  pieces  of  cannon ;  and  two  companies  of 
teamsters,  under  Capts.  Skillman  and  Glasgow, 
forming  an  extra  battalion  of  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  commanded  by  Major  Owens,  of  Indepen 
dence,  making  an  aggregate  force  of  one  thousand 
one  hundred  and  sixty-four  men,  all  Missouri  vol 
unteers.  The  march  of  the  day  was  conducted  in 
the  following  order :  the  wagons,  near  four  hundred 
in  all,  were  thrown  into  four  parallel  files,  with 
spaces  of  thirty  feet  between  each.  In  the  center 
space  marched  the  artillery  battalion ;  in  the  space  to 
the  right,  the  ist  battalion,  and  in  the  space  to  the 
left,  the  2nd  battalion.  Masking  these  in  front 
marched  the  three  companies  intended  to  act  as 
cavalry,  the  Missouri  horse  guards,  under  Capt. 
Reid,  on  the  right,  the  Missouri  dragoons  under 
Capt.  Parsons,  on  the  left,  and  the  Chihuahua 
rangers,  under  Capt.  Hudson  in  the  center.  Thus 
arranged,  they  approached  the  scene  of  action. 


Ropes  and  Handcuffs  Awaited  Americans. 

The  enemy  had  occupied  the  brow  of  a  rocky 
eminence  rising  upon  a  plateau  between  the  river 
Sacramento  and  the  Arroya  Seca,  and  near  the  Sa 
cramento  fort,  eighteen  miles  from  Chihuahua,  and 
fortified  its  approaches  by  a  line  of  field-works,  con- 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE   MEXICAN   WAK.        91 

sisting  of  twenty-eight  strong  redoubts  and  in- 
trenchments.  Here  in  this  apparently  secure  posi 
tion,  the  Mexicans  had  determined  to  make  a  bold 
stand ;  for  this  pass  was  the  key  to  the  capital.  So 
certain  of  victory  were  the  Mexicans,  that  they  had 
prepared  strings  and  handcuffs  in  which  they  meant 
to  drive  us,  prisoners  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  as  they 
did  the  Texans  in  1841.  Thus  fortified  and  en 
trenched,  the  Mexican  army,  consisting,  according 
to  a  consolidated  report  of  the  adjutant-general 
which  came  into  Col  Doniphan's  possession  after 
the  battle,  of  four  thousand  two  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  commanded  by  Major-general  Jose  A. 
Heredia;  aided  by  Gen.  Gracia  Conde,  former  min 
ister  of  war  in  Mexico,  as  commander  of  cavalry ; 
Gen.  Mauricia  Ugarte,  commander  of  of  infantry; 
Gen.  Justiniani,  commander  of  artillery,  and  Gover 
nor  Angel  Tries,  Brigadier-general,  commanding 
the  Chihuahua  volunteers,  awaited  the  approach  of 
the  Americans. 


92        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


Battle  of  Sacramento. 


When  Col.  Doniphan  arrived  within  one  mile 
and  a  half  of  the  enemy's  fortifications,  (a  reconnois- 
sance  of  his  position  having  been  made  by  Major 
Clark,)  leaving  the  main  road  which  passed  within 
the  range  of  his  batteries,  he  suddenly  deflected  to 
the  right,  crossed  the  rocky  Arroya,  expeditiously 
gained  the  plateau  beyond,  successfully  deployed 
his  men  into  line  upon  the  highland,  causing  the 
enemy  to  change  his  first  position,  and  made  the 
assault  from  the  west.  This  was  the  best  point  of 
attack  that  could  possibly  have  been  selected.  The 
events  of  the  day  proved  how  well  it  was  chosen. 

In  passing  the  Arroya  the  caravan  and  bag 
gage  trains  followed  close  upon  the  rear  of  the 
army.  Nothing  could  exceed  in  point  of  solemnity 
and  granduer  the  rumbling  of  the  artillery,  the  firm 
moving  of  the  caravan,  the  dashing  to  and  fro  of 
horsemen,  and  waving  of  banners  and  gay  fluttering 
guidons  as  both  armies  advanced  to  the  attack  on 
the  rocky  plains ;  for  at  this  crisis  Gen.  Conde,  with 
a  select  body  of  twelve  hundred  cavalry,  dashed 
down  from  the  fortified  heights  to  commence  the 
engagement.  When  within  nine  hundred  and  fifty 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.        93 

yards  of  our  alignment,  Major  Clark's  battery  of 
six  pounders  and  Waightman's  section  of  howitzers 
opened  upon  them  a  well  directed  and  most  des 
tructive  fire,  producing  fearful  execution  in  their 
ranks.  In  some  disorder  they  fell  back  a  short  dis 
tance,  unmasking  a  battery  of  cannon,  which  im 
mediately  commenced  to  fire  on  us.  A  brisk  can 
nonading  was  kept  up  on  both  sides  for  about  fifty 
minutes  during  which  time  the  enemy  suffered  great 
loss,  our  battery  discharging  twenty-four  rounds  to 
the  minute.  The  balls  from  our  enemy's  cannon 
whistled  through  our  ranks  in  quick  succession, 
many  horses  and  other  animals  were  killed,  and  the 
wagons  much  shattered.  Sergeant  A.  Hughes,  of 
the  Missouri  dragoons,  had  both  his  legs  broken 
by  a  cannon  ball.  In  this  action  the  enemy,  who 
were  drawn  up  in  columns  four  deep  close  order, 
lost  about  twenty-five  killed,  besides  a  great  number 
of  horses.  The  Americans  who  stood  dismounted 
in  two  ranks,  open  order,  suffered  but  slight  injury. 
Gen.  Conde,  with  considerable  disorder,  now  fell 
back  and  rallied  his  men  behind  the  entrenchments 
and  redoubts. — Col.  Doniphan  immediately  ordered 
the  buglers  to  sound  the  advance.  Thereupon  the 
American  army  moved  forward  in  the  following 
manner,  to  storm  the  enemy's  breastworks : 

The  artillery  battalion,  Major  Clark,  in  the  cen 
ter,  firing  occassionally  on  the  advance;  the  ist 
battalion,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-colonels  Jack 
son  and  Mitchell,  composing  the  right  wing ;  the  two 
select  companies  of  cavalry  under  Capts.  Reid  and 
Parsons,  and  Capt.  Hudson's  mounted  company, 
immediately  on  the  left  of  the  artillery ;  and  the  2nd 
battalion  on  the  extreme  left,  commanded  by  Majc/ 
Gilpin.  The  caravan  and  baggage  trains  under 
Major  Owens,  followed  close  in  the  rear.  Col. 
Doniphan  and  his  aids,  Capt.  Thompson,  United 


94        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

States'  army,  adjutant  De  Courcy,  Sergeant-major 
Crenshaw  acted  between  the  battalions. 

At  this  crisis  a  body  of  three  hundred  lancers 
and  lazadors,  were  discovered  advancing  upon  our 
rear.  These  were  exclusive  of  Heredia's  main 
force,  and  were  said  to  be  criminals,  turned  loose 
from  the  Chihuahua  prisons,  that  by  some  gallant 
exploit  they  might  expurgate  themselves  of  crime. 
These  men  were  posted  in  the  rear  to  cut  off  strag 
glers,  prevent  retreat,  and  capture  and  plunder  the 
merchant  wagons.  The  battalion  of  teamsters  kept 
them  at  bay.  Besides  this  force  there  were  a  thous 
and  spectators,  women,  citizens,  and  rancheros, 
perched  on  the  summits  of  adjacent  mountains  and 
hills,  watching  the  event  of  the  day. 

As  we  neared  the  enemy's  redoubts,  still  inclin 
ing  to  the  right,  a  heavy  fire  was  opened  upon  us 
from  his  different  batteries,  consisting  in  all  of  six 
teen  pieces  of  cannon.  But  owing  to  the  facility 
with  which  our  movements  were  performed,  and  to 
the  fact  that  the  Mexicans  were  compelled  to  fire 
plungingly  upon  our  lines,  (their  position  being  con 
siderably  elevated  above  the  plateau,  and  particu 
larly  the  battery  placed  on  the  brow  of  the  Sacra 
mento  mountains  with  the  design  of  enfilading  our 
column,)  we  sustained  but  little  damage. 


Reid's  Gallant  Charge. 

When  our  column  had  approched  within  about 
four-hundred  yards  of  the  enemy's  line  of  field 
works,  the  three  cavalry  companies,  under  Capts. 
Reid,  Parsons,  and  Hudson,  and  Weightman's  sec 
tion  of  howitzers  were  ordered  to  carry  the  main 
center  battery,  which  had  considerably  annoyed  our 
lines,  and  which  was  protected  by  a  strong  bastion. 
The  charge  was  not  made  simultaneously,  as  inten- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR.        95 

ded  by  the  colonel;  for  this  troop  having  spurred 
forward  a  little  way,  was  halted  for  a  moment  un 
der-  a  heavy  cross-fire  from  the  enemy,  by  the  adjut 
ant's  misapprehending  the  order.  However,  Capt. 
Reid,  either  not  hearing  or  discarding  the  adjutant's 
order  to  halt,  leading  the  way,  waved  his  sword, 
and  rising  in  his  stirrups,  exclaimed,  "will  my  men 
follow  me?"  Hereupon  Lieuts.  Barnett,  Hinton, 
and  Moss,  with  about  twenty-five  men,  bravely 
sprang  forward,  rose  the  hill  with  the  captain,  car 
ried  the  battery,  and  for  a  moment  silenced  the 
guns.  But  we  were  too  weak  to  hold  possession 
of  it.  By  the  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy 
we  were  beaten  back,  and  many  of  us  wounded. 
Here  Samuel  C.  Owens,  who  had  voluntarily  charg 
ed  upon  the  redoubt,  received  a  cannon  or  musket 
shot,  which  instantly  killed  both  him  and  his  horse. 
Capt.  Reid's  horse  was  shot  from  under  him,  and  a 
gallant  young  man  of  the  same  name  immediately 
dismounted  and  generously  offered  the  captain  his. 
By  this  time  the  remainder  of  Capt.  Reid's  com 
pany  under  Lieut.  Hiei-^in,  and  the  section  of  howit 
zers  under  Capt.  Weightman,  and  Lieuts.  Choteau 
and  Evans,  rose  the  hill,  and  supported  Capt.  Reid. 
A  deadly  volley  of  grape  and  cannister  shot,  ming 
led  with  yager  balls,  quickly  cleared  the  entrench 
ments  and  the  redoubt.  The  battery  was  retaken 
and  held.  Almost  at  the  same  instant  Capts.  Par 
sons,  and  Hudson,  with  the  two  remaining  compan 
ies  of  cavalry,  crossed  the  intrenchments.  at  Reid's 
left,  and  successfully  engaged  with  the  enemy. 
They  resolutely  drove  them  back  and  held  the 
ground. 

All  the  companies  were  now  pressing  forward, 
and  pouring  over  the  entrenchments,  and  into  the 
redoubts,  eagerly  vicing  with  each  other  in  the 
noble  struggle  for  victory.  Each  company,  as  well 


9G        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

as  each  soldier,  was  ambitious  to  excel.  Companies 
A.  B.  C.  and  a  part  of  company  D,  composing  the 
right  wing,  all  dismounted,  respectively  under  com 
mand  of  Capts.  Waldo,  Walton,  Moss,  and  Lieut. 
Miller,  led  on  by  Lieutenant-colonels  Jackson  and 
Mitchell,  stormed  a  formidable  line  of  redoubts  on 
the  enemy  s  left,  defended  by  several  pieces  of  can 
non,  and  great  number  of  resolute  and  well  armed 
men.  A  part  of  this  wing  took  possession  of  a 
strong  battery  on  Sacramento  hill,  which  had  kept 
up  a  continuous  cross-firing  upon  our  right  during 
the  whole  engagement.  Cols.  Jackson  and  Mitchell 
and  their  captains,  lieutenants,  non-commissioned 
officers,  and  men  generally,  behaved  with  commend 
able  gallantry.  Many  instances  of  individual 
prowess  were  exhibited.  But  it  is  invidious  to  dis 
tinguish  between  men,  where  all  performed  their 
duty  so  nobly. 

Meanwhile  the  left  wing  also  dismounted,  com 
manded  by  Major  Gilpin,  a  gallant  and  skillful  of 
ficer,  boldly  scaled  the  heights,  passed  the  intrench- 
ments,  cleared  the  redoubts,  and  with  considerable 
slaughter  forced  the  enemy  to  retreat  from  his  posi 
tion  on  the  right.  Company  G,  under  Capt.  Hughes 
and  a  part  of  company  F.  under  Lieut.  Gordon, 
stormed  a  battery  of  three  brass  four  pounders 
strongly  defended  by  enbankments,  and  ditches 
filled  with  resolute  and  well  armed  Mexican  infan 
try.  Some  of  the  artillerists  were  made  prisoners 
while  endeavoring  to  touch  off  the  cannon.  Com 
panies  H  and  E,  under  Capts.  Rodger  s  and  Stephen- 
son,  and  part  of  Hudson's  company  under  Lieut. 
Todd,  on  the  extreme  left,  behaved  nobly,  and 
fought  with  great  courage.  They  beat  the  Mexi 
cans  from  their  strong  places,  and  chased  them  like 
bloodhounds.  Major  Gilpin  was  not  behind  his  men 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.          97 

in  bravery — he  encouraged  them  to  fight  by  ex 
ample. 

Major  Clark  with  his  six  pounders,  and  Cap 
tain  Weightman,  with  his  howitzers,  during  the 
whole  action  rendered  the  most  signal  and  essen 
tial  service,  and  contributed  much  toward  the  suc 
cess  of  the  day.  The  gallant  charge  led  by  Capt. 
Reid,  and  sustained  by  Capt.  Weightman,  in  point 
of  daring  and  brilliancy  of  execution,  has  not  been 
excelled  by  any  similar  exploit  during  the  war. 

Gen.  Heredia  made  several  unsuccessful  at 
tempts  to  rally  his  retreating  forces,  to  infuse  into 
their  minds  new  courage,  and  to  close  up  the 
breaches  already  made  in  his  lines.  General  Conde, 
with  his  troops  of  horses,  also  vainly  endeavored 
to  check  the  advance  of  the  Missourians.  They 
were  dislodged  from  their  strong  places,  and  forced 
from  the  hills  in  confusion. 

The  rout  of  the  Mexican  army  now  became 
general,  and  the  slaughter  continued  until  night 
put  an  end  to  the  chase.  The  battle  lasted  three 
hours  and  a  half.  The  men  returned  to  the  battle 
field  after  dark,  completely  worn  out  and  exhausted 
with  fatigue.  The  Mexicans  lostvthree  hundred  and 
four  men  killed  on  the  field,  and  a  large  number  of 
wounded,  perhaps  not  less  than  five  hundred,  and 
seventy  prisoners,  among  whom  was  Brigadier-gen 
eral  Cuilta,  together  with  a  vast  quantity  of  provi 
sions,  six  thousand  dollars  in  specie,  fifty  thousand 
head  of  sheep,  one  thousand  five  hundred  head  of 
cattle,  one  hundred  mules,  twenty  wagons,  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  caretas,  twenty-five  thousand  pounds 
of  ammunition,  ten  pieces  of  cannon  of  different 
calibre,  varying  from  four  to  nine  pounders,  six  cul- 
verins  or  wall  pieces,  one  hundred  stands  of  small 
arms,  one  hundred  stands  of  small  colors,  seven  fine 
carriages,  the  general's  scrutoire,  and  many  other 


98        INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

things  of  less  note.  Our  loss  was  Major  Samuel 
C.  Owens,  killed  and  eleven  wounded,  three  of 
whom  subsequently  died. 

Thus  was  the  army  of  Central  Mexico  totally  de 
feated,  and  completely  disorganized,  by  a  column 
of  Missouri  volunteers.  The  Mexicans  retreated  pre- 
cipiatately  to  Durango,  and  dispersed  among  the 
ranchos  and  villages.  Their  leaders  were  never 
able  to  rally  them. 

In  this  engagement  Col.  Doniphan  was  person 
ally  much  exposed,  and  by  reason  of  his  stature  was 
a  conspicuous  mark  for  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  guns. 
He  was  all  the  while  at  the  proper  place,  whether 
to  dispense  his  orders,  encourage  his  men,  or  to  use 
his  sabre  in  thinning  the  enemy's  ranks.  His  cour 
age  and  gallant  conduct^  were  only  equalled  by  his 
clear  foresight,  and  great  judgement.  His  effective 
force  actually  engaged  was  about  nine  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  including  a  considerable  number  of  ama 
teur  fighters,  among  whom  Jas.  L.  Collins,  Jas. 
Kirker,  Messrs.  Henderson  and  Anderson,  interpre 
ters,  Major  Campbell,  and  James  Stewart,  deserve 
to  be  favorably  mentioned.  They  fought  bravely. 
It  was  impossible  for  Capts.  Skillman  and  Glasgow 
to  bring  their  companies  of  teamsters  into  the  act 
ion.  They  deserve  great  honor  for  their  gallantry 
in  defending  the  trains.  The  soldiers  encamped 
on  the  battle  field,  within  the  enemy's  intrenchments 
and  feasted  sumptuously  upon  his  viands,  wines  and 
pound-cakes.  There  they  rested. 

Col.  Doniphan,  not  like  Hannibal,  loitering  on 
the  plains  of  Italy,  after  the  batle  of  Cannae,  wrhen 
he  might  have  entered  Rome  in  triumph,  immedia 
tely  followed  up  his  success,  and  improved  the  ad 
vantage  which  his  victory  gave  him.  Early  the 
next  morning,,  (March  ist,)  he  dispatched  Lieut, 
colonel  Mitchell,  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXCAN    WAR.        99 

under  command  of  Capt.  Reid  and  Weightman, 
and  a  section  of  artillery,  to  take  formal  possession 
of  the  capital,  and  occupy  it  in  the  name  of  his 
government.  This  detachment  before  arriving  in 
the  city,  was  met  by  several  American  gentlemen 
escaping  from  confinement,  who  represented  that 
the  Mexicans  had  left  the  place  undefended,  and 
fled  with  the  utmost  precipitation  to  Durango. 
The  Spanish  consul,  also  came  out  with  the  flag  of 
his  country,  to  salute  and  acknowledge  the  conquer 
or.  This  small  body  of  troops  entered  and  took 
military  possession  of  Chihuahua,  without  the 
slightest  resistance,  and  the  following  night  occupied 
the  Cuartel  near  Hidalgo's  monument,  which  stands 
in  the  Alameda. 

Meanwhile  Colonel  Doniphan  and  his  men  col 
lected  the  booty,  tended  the  captured  animals,  re 
fitted  the  trains,  remounted  those  who  had  lost  their 
steeds  in  the  action,  arranged  the  preliminaries  of  a 
procession,  and  having  marched  a  few  miles,  en 
camped  for  the  night.  On  the  morning  of  the  2nd 
day  of  March,  Col.  Doniphan  with  all  his  military 
trains,  the  merchant's  caravan,  gay,  fluttering  col 
ors  and  the  whole  spolia  opima,  triumphantly  entered 
the  city  to  the  tune  of  "Yankee  Doodle"  and  "Hail 
Columbia,"  and  fired  in  the  public  square  a  national 
salute  of  twenty-eight  guns.  This  was  a  proua 
moment  for  the  American  troops.  The  battle  of 
Sacramento  gave  them  the  capital,  and  now  the  stars 
and  stripes,  and  gallant  eagle  of  the  Model  Repub 
lic,  were  streaming  victoriously  over  the  stronghold 
of  Central  Mexico. 


Col.  Doniphan  s  Official  Account. 
Colonel  Doniphan's  official     account     of     the 
memorable  battle  of  the  28th  of  February  is  here 
subjoined : 


100      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Headquarters  of  the  Army;  Chihuahua, 
City  of  Chihuahua,  March  4th,  1847. 

I  have  the  honor  to  report  to  you  the  movement 
of  the  army  under  my  command  since  my  last  of 
ficial  report. 

On  the  evening  of  the  8th  of  February,  1847, 
we  left  the  town  of  El  Paso  del  Norte,  escorting  the 
merchant  train  or  caravan  of  three  hundred  and 
fifteen  wagons  for  the  City  of  Chihuahua.  Our 
forces  consisted  of  nine  hundred  and  twenty-four 
effective  men ;  one  hundred  and  seventeen  officers 
and  privates  of  the  artillery ;  ninety-three  of  Lieu 
tenant-colonel  Mitchell's  escort,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  first  regiment  Missouri  mounted  volunteers. 
We  progressed  in  the  direction  of  this  place  until  the 
25th,  when  we  were  informed  by  our  spies  that  the 
enemy,  to  the  number  of  one  thousand  men,  were 
at  Encenilla,  the  country  seat  of  Governor  Trias, 
about  twenty  five  miles  in  advance. 

When  we  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  26th, 
near  the  point,  we  found  that  the  force  had  retreated 
in  the  direction  of  this  city.  On  the  evening  of  the 
27th,  we  arrived  at  Sanz,  and  learned  from  our 
spies  that  the  enemy  in  great  force  had  fortified  the 
pass  of  the  Sacramento  river,  about  fifteen  miles  in 
advance,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  this  city. 
We  were  also  informed  that  there  was  no  water 
between  the  point  where  we  were  at,  and  that  oc 
cupied  by  the  enemy.  We  therefore  determined  to 
halt  until  morning.  At  sunrise  on  the  28th,  the  last 
day  of  February,  we  took  up  the  line  of  march  and 
formed  the  whole  train,  consisting  of  three  hundred 
and  fifteen  heavy  traders'  wagons,  and  our  commis 
sary  and  company  wagons,  into  four  columns,  thus 
shortening  our  line  so  as  to  make  it  more  easily  pro 
tected.  We  placed  the  artillery  and  £.11  the  com 
mands  except  two  hundred  cavalry  proper,  in  the 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      101 

intervals  between  the  columns  of  wagons.  We  thus 
fully  concealed  our  force  and  its  position  by  mask 
ing  our  force  with  cavalry.  When  we  arrived  with 
in  three  miles  of  the  enemy,  we  made  a  reconnois- 
sance  of  his  position  and  the  arrangement  of  his 
forces.  This  we  could  easily  do,  the  road  leading 
through  an  open  prairie  valley  between  the  sterile 
mountains.  The  pass  of  the  Sacramento  is  formed 
by  a  point  of  the  mountains  on  our  right  their  left 
extending  into  the  valley  or  plain  so  as  to  narrow 
the  valley  to  about  one  and  one-half  miles.  On  our 
left  was  a  deep  dry  channel  of  a  creek,  and  between 
these  points  the  plain  rises  to  sixty  feet  abruptly. 
This  rise  is  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  the  convex 
part  being  to  the  north  of  our  forces.  On  the  right, 
from  the  point  of  mountains,  a  narrow  part  of  the 
plain  extends  north  one  and  a  half  miles  farther 
than  on  the  left.  The  main  road  passes  down  the 
center  of  the  valley  and  across  the  crescent,  near  the 
left  or  dry  branch. 

The  Sacramento  rises  in  the  mountains  on  the 
right,  and  the  road  falls  on  it  about  one  mile  below 
the  battlefield  or  entrenchment  of  the  enemy.  We 
ascertained  that  the  enemy  had  one  battery  of  four 
guns,  two  nine  and  six  pounders  on  the  point  of 
the  mountain  on  our  right  (their  left)  at  good  ele 
vation  commanding  the  road,  and  three  entrench 
ments  of  two  six  pounders,  and  on  the  brow  of  the 
crescent  near  the  center,  another  of  two,  six  and 
four,  and  six  culverins,  or  rampart  pieces,  mounted 
on  carriages,  and  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  or  ascent 
between  the  batteries,  and  on  the  right  and  left, 
they  had  twenty-seven  redoubts  dug  and  thrown 
up,  extending  at  short  intervals  across  the  whole 
ground.  In  these  their  infantry  were  placed,  and 
were  entirely  protected.  Their  cavalry  were 
drawn  up  in  front  of  their  redoubts  in  the  intervals 


102      INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

four  deep,  and  in  front  of  the  redoubts,  two  deep, 
so  as  to  mask  them  as  far  as  practicable.  When  we 
arrived  within  one  and  a  half  miles  of  the  entrench 
ments  along  the  main  road,  we  advanced  the  cavalry 
still  further,  and  suddenly  .diverged  with  the  col 
umns  to  the  right  so  as  to  gain  the  narrow  part  of 
the  ascent  on  the  right,  which  the  enemy  discover 
ing,  endeavored  to  prevent,  by  moving  forward 
with  one  thousand  cavalry  and  four  pieces  of  can 
non  in  their  rear  masked  by  them.  Our  movements 
were  so  rapid  that  we  gained  the  elevation  with  our 
forces  and  the  advance  of  our  wagons,  in  time  to 
form  before  they  arrived  in  reach  of  our  guns. 
The  enemy  halted  and  we  advanced  the  head  of 
our  column  within  twelve  hundred  yards  of  them, 
so  as  to  let  our  wagons  attain  the  highlands  and 
form  as  before. 

We  now  commenced  the  action  by  a  brisk  fire 
from  our  battery,  and  the  enemy  unmasked  and 
commenced  also;  our  fire  proved  effective  at  this 
distance,  killing  fifteen  men,  wounding  many  more, 
and  disabling  one  of  the  enemy's  guns.  We  had 
two  men  slightly  wounded,  and  several  horses  and 
mules  killed.  The  enemy  slowly  retreated  behind 
their  works  in  some  confusion,  and  we  resumed  our 
march  in  our  former  order,  still  diverging  more  to 
the  right  to  avoid  their  battery  on  our  left,  (their 
right,)  and  their  strongest  redoubts,  which  were  on 
the  left,  near  where  the  road  passes.  After  march 
ing  as  far  as  we  safely  could,  without  coming  in 
range  of  their  heavy  battery  on  our  right,  Capt. 
Weightman,  of  the  artillery,  was  ordered  to  charge 
with  two  twelve  pound  howitzers,  to  be  supported 
by  the  cavalry  under  Capt.  Reid,  Parsons,  and  Hud 
son.  '  The  howitzers  charged  at  speed,  and  were 
gallantly  sustained  by  Capt.  Reid;  but  by  some 
misunderstanding,  my  order  was  not  given  to  the 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       103 

other  two  companies.  Capt.  Hudson,  anticipating 
my  order,  charged  in  time  to  give  ample  support 
to  the  howitzers.  Capt.  Parsons  at  the  same  mo 
ment  came  to  me,  and  asked  permission  for  his 
company  to  charge  the  redoubts  immediately  to  the 
left  of  Capt.  Weightman,  which  he  did  very  gal 
lantly.  The  remainder  of  the  two  battalions  of 
the  regiment  were  dismounted  during  the  cavalry 
charge,  and  followed  rapidly  on  foot,  and  Major 
Clark  advanced  as  fast  as  possible  with  the  remain 
der  of  the  battery;  we  charged  their  redoubts  from 
right  to  left,  with  a  brisk  and  deadly  fire  of  riflemen, 
while  Major  Clark  opened  a  rapid  and  well  directed 
fire  on  a  column  of  cavalry  attempting  to  pass  to 
our  left  so  as  to  attack  the  wagons  and  our  rear. 
The  fire  was  so  well  directed  as  to  force  them  to 
fall  back;  and  our  riflemen,  with  the  cavalry  and 
howitzers,  cleared  the  hill  after  an  obstinate  resis 
tance.  Our  force  advanced  to  the  very  brink  of 
their  redoubts,  and  attacked  them  with  their  sabres. 
When  the  redoubts  were  cleared  and  the  batteries 
in  the  center  and  on  our  left  were  silenced,  the  main 
battery  on  our  right  continued  to  pour  in  a  constant 
and  heavy  fire,  as  it  had  done  during,  the  heat  of 
the  engagement;  but  as  the  whole  fate  of  of  the 
battle  depended  on  carrying  the  redoubts  and  center 
battery,  this  one  on  the  right  remained  unattacked, 
and  the  enemy  had  rallied  there  five  hundred 
strong. 

Major  Clark  was  directed  to  commence  a  heavy 
fire  upon  it,  while  Lieutenant-colonels  Mitchell  and 
Jackson,  commanding  the  ist  battalion,  were  order 
ed  to  remount  and  charge  the  battery  on  the  left, 
while  Major  Gilpin  was  ordered  to  march  the  2nd 
battalion  on  foot  up  the  rough  ascent  of  the  moun 
tain  on  the  opposite  side.  The  fire  of  our  battery 
was  so  effective  as  to  completely  silence  theirs,  and 


104      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

the  rapid  advance  of  our  column  put  them  to  flight 
over  the  mountains  in  great  confusion. 

Capt.  Thompson  of  the  ist  dragoons,  acted  as 
my  aid  and  adviser  on  the  field  during  the  whole  en 
gagement,  and  was  of  the  most  essential  service  to 
me.  Also,  Lieut.  Wooster,  of  the  U.  S.  army,  who 
acted  very  cooly  and  gallantly.  Major  Campbell, 
of  Springfield,  Missouri,  also  acted  as  a  volunteer 
aid  during  part  of  the  time,  but  left  me  and  joined 
Capt.  Reid  in  his  gallant  charge.  Thus  ended  the 
battle  of  Sacramento.  The  force  of  the  enemy  was 
1,200  cavalry  from  Durango  and  Chihuahua,  with 
the  Vera  Cruz  dragoons,  and  1,200  infantry  from 
Chihuahua,  300  artillerists,  and  1,420  rancheros, 
badly  armed  with  lassos,  lances,  machetes  or  corn 
knives,  ten  pieces  of  artillery,  2  nine,  4  eight  and  2 
four  pounders,  and  6  culverins,  or  rampart  pieces. 
Their  forces  were  commanded  by  Major-general 
Hendea,  general  of  Durango,  Cliihuahua,  Sonora, 
and  New  Mexico ;  Brigadier-general  Justiniani ; 
Brigadier-general  Gracia  Conde,  formerly  minister 
of  war  for  the  republic  of  Mexico,  who  is  a  scienti 
fic  man.  and  planned  this  whole  field  of  defence; 
Gen.  Uguarte,  and  Governor  Trias,  who  acted  as 
brigadier  general  on  the  field,  and  colonels  and 
other  officers  without  number. 

Our  force  was  nine  hundred  and  twenty-four 
effective  men,  at  least  one  hundred  of  whom  were 
engaged  in  holding  horses  and  driving  teams. 

The  loss  of  the  enemy  was  his  entire  artillery, 
20  wagons,  masses  of  beans  and  pinola,  and  other 
Mexican  provisions,  about  three  hundred  killed  and 
the  same  number  wounded,  many  of  whom  have 
since  died,  and  forty  prisoners. 

The  field  was  literally  covered  with  the  dead 
and  wounded  from  our  artillery,  and  the  unerring 
fire  of  our  riflemen.  Night  put  a  stop  to  the  car- 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       105 

nage,  the  battle  having  commenced  about  three 
o'clock.  Our  loss  was  one  killed,  one  mortally 
wounded,  and  seven  so  wounded  as  to  recover 
without  the  loss  of  limbs.  I  cannot  speak  too 
highly  of  the  coolness,  gallantry,  and  bravery  of 
the  officers  and  men  under  my  command. 

I  was  ably  sustained  by  the  field  officers,  Lieu 
tenant-colonels  Mitchell  and  Jackson,  of  the  1st 
battalion,  and  Major  Gilpin  of  the  2nd  battalion ; 
and  Major  Clark  and  his  artillery  acted  nobly  and 
did  the  most  effective  service  in  every  part  of  the 
field.  It  is  abundantly  shown,  in  the  charge  made 
by  Capt.  Weightman  with  the  section  of  howitzers, 
that  they  can  be  used  in  any  charge  of  cavalry  with 
great  effect.  Much  has  been  said,  and  justly,  of 
the  gallantry  of  our  artillery,  unlimbering  within 
two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  enemy  at  Palo 
Alto ;  but  how  much  more  daring  was  the  charge  of 
Capt.  Weightman,  when  he  unlimbered  within  fifty 
yards  of  the  redoubts  of  the  enemy. 

On  the  first  day  of  March  we  took  formal  pos 
session  of  the  capital  of  Chihuahua  in  the  name  of 
our  government.  We  were  ordered  by  Gen.  Kearny 
to  report  to  Gen.  Wool  at  this  place ;  since  our  arri 
val  we  hear  he  is  at  Saltillo,  surrounded  by  the 
enemy.  Our  present  purpose  is  either  to  force  our 
way  to  him,  or  return  by  Bexar ;  as  our  term  of 
service  expires  on  the  last  day  of  May  next. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 
A.  W.  DONIPHAN,  Col.  ist  Regt.  Mo.  Vol. 
R.  Jones,  Adjt,  Gen.  U.  S.  A. 


Major  Clark's  Report. 

On  the  morning  after  the  engagement  Major 
Clark,  in  reporting  to  Col.  Doniphan  the  conduct  of 


106      INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXCAN    WAR. 

the  troops  under  his  command,  holds  the  following 
language : 

Capt.  Weightman  charged  at  full  gallop  upon 
the  enemy's  left,  proceded  by  Capt.  Reid  and  his 
company  of  horses,  and  after  crossing  a  ravine  of 
some  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  enemy,  he 
unlimbered  the  guns  within  fifty  yards  of  the  in- 
trenchments,  and  opened  a  destructive  fire  of  can- 
nister  into  their  ranks,  which  was  warmly  returned, 
but  without  effect.  Capt.  Weightman  again  ad 
vanced  upon  the  intrenchment  passing  through  it 
in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
ditches,  and  in  the  midst  of  cross-fires  from  three 
directions,  again  opened  his  fire  to  the  right  and  left 
with  such  effect,  that  with  the  formidable  charge 
of  the  cavalry  and  mounted  men  of  your  own  regi 
ment  and  Lieutenant-colonel  Mitchell's  escort,  the 
enemy  were  driven  from  their  breastworks  on  their 
right  in  great  confusion.  At  this  time  under  a 
heavy  cross-fire  from  the  battery  of  four  six  poun 
ders,  under  Lieuts.  Dorn,  Kribbin,  and  Labeaume, 
upon  the  enemy's  right,  supported  by  Maj.  Gilpin  on 
the  left,  and  the  wagon  train  escorted  by  two  com 
panies  of  infantry  under  Qapts.  E.  F.  Glasgow  and 
Skillman  in  the  rear,  Major  Gilpin  charged  upon 
the  enemy's  center  and  forced  him  from  his  in- 
trenchments  under  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  and  small 
arms.  At  this  same  time  the  fire  of  our  own  bat 
tery  was  opened  upon  the  enemy's  extreme  right, 
from  which  a  continual  fire  had  been  keept  up  upon 
our  line  and  the  wagon  train.  Two  of  the  enemy's 
guns  were  now  dismounted  on  the  right,  that  bat 
tery  silenced  and  the  enemy  dislodged  from  the  re 
doubts  on  the  Cerro  Frigolis.  Preceiving  a  body 
of  lancers  forming,  for  the  purpose  of  outflanking 
our  left,  and  attacking  the  merchant  trains  under 
Capts,  Glasgow  and  Skillman,  I  again  opened  upon 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXCAN    WAR.       107 

them  a  very  destructive  fire  of  grape  and  spherical 
case  shot,  which  soon  cleared  the  left  of  our  line, 
The  enemy  vacating  his  intrenchments  and  deserting 
his  guns,  was  hotly  pursued  toward  the  mountains 
beyond  Cerro  Frigolis,  and  down  Arroyo  Secco  la 
Sacramento  by  both  wings  of  the  army  under  Lieu 
tenant-colonel  Mitchell,  Lieutenant-colonel  Jackson 
and  Major  Gilpin  and  by  Capt.  Weightman,  with 
the  section  of  the  howitzers.  During  this  pursuit 
my  officers  repeatedly  opened  their  fire  upon  the  re 
treating  enemy  with  great  effect.  To  cover  this 
flight  of  the  enemy's  forces  from  the  entrenched 
camp,  the  heaviest  of  his  cannon  had  been  taken 
from  the  entrenchment  to  Cerro  Sacramento,  and 
a  heavy  fire  opened  upon  our  pursuing  forces  and 
the  wagons  following  in  the  rear.  To  silence  this 
battery  I  had  the  honor  to  anticipate  your  order  to 
that  effect  by  at  once  occupying  the  nearest  of  the 
enemy's  entrenchments,  twelve  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  yards  distance,  and  not  withstanding  the  ele 
vated  position  of  the  Mexican  battery,  giving  him 
a  plunging  fire  into  my  entrenchment,  which  was 
not  defiladed,  and  the  greater  range  of  his  long 
nine  pounders,  the  first  fire  of  our  guns  dismounted 
one  of  his  largest  pieces,  and  the  fire  was  kept  up 
with  such  briskness  and  such  precision  of  aim,  that 
the  battery  was  soon  silenced  and  the  enemy  seen 
precipitately  retreating.  The  fire  was  then  con 
tinued  upon  the  rancho  Sacramento,  and  the  enemy's 
ammunition  train,  retreating  upon  the  road  to  Chi 
huahua.  By  their  fire  the  house  and  several  wagons 
were  rendered  untenable  and  useless.  By  this  time 
Lieutenant-colonel  had  scaled  the  hill,  followed  by 
the  section  of  howitzers  under  Capt.  Weightman, 
and  the  last  portion  of  the  Mexican  forces  were 
taken  possession  of  by  our  troops ;  thus  leaving  the 
American  forces  master  of  the  field. 


108      NCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR. 

Col.  Doniphan's  Proclamation. 

Col.  Doniphan,  now  having  actual  possession 
of  the  city  of  Chihuahua,  and  virtually  possession  of 
the  State;  having  quartered  his  soldiers  in  the  pub 
lic  buildings  near  the  plaza,  and  other  houses  va 
cated  by  the  families  who  fled  at  his  approach ; 
having  stationed-  his  artillery  in  a  manner  to  com 
mand  the  streets  and  other  avenues  leading  into  the 
square,  for  the  perfect  defence  of  the  capital;  hav 
ing  sent  the  Prefecto  of  the  city  to  the  battle-field 
with  a  number  of  Mexicans  to  bury  their  dead; 
and  having  set  the  curate,  Ortiz,  and  the  other  hos 
tages  at  liberty,  issued  the  following  proclamation 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Chihuahua : — 

"The  commander  of  the  North  American 
forces  in  Chihuahua,  informs  the  citizens  of  this 
State,  that  he  has  taken  military  possession  of  this 
capital,  and  has  the  satisfaction  to  assure  them  that 
complete  tranquillity  therein. 

He  invites  all  the  citizens  to  return  to  their 
houses  and  continue  their  ordinary  occupations, 
under  the  security  that  their  persons,  religion  and 
property  shall  be  respected. 

He  declares,  likewise,  in  the  name  of  his  gov 
ernment,  that  having  taken  possession  of  the  capi 
tal,  after  conquering  the  forces  of  the  State,  he  has 
equally  taken  possession  of  the  State. 

He  invites  the  citizens  of  all  the  towns  and  ran- 
chos,  to  continue  their  traffic,  to  come  to  this  capi 
tal  to  buy  and  sell  as  formerly  before  the  late  oc 
currences,  under  the  assurance  that  they  shall  in 
no  manner  be  molested  or  troubled,  and  as  already 
said,  their  property  shall  be  respected;  for  if  the 
troops  in  his  command  should  stand  in  need  of  any 
thing,  a  fair  price  shall  be  given  for  the  value  there 
of  with  the  utmost  punctuality. 

He  likewise  declares,  that  the  American  troops 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       109 

will  punish  with  prompitude,  any  excess  that  may 
be  committed,  whether  it  be  by  the  barbarous  In 
dians  or  any  other  individual. 

Lastly,  we  assure  all  good  citizens,  that  we 
carry  on  war  against  the  armies  alone,  and  not 
against  individual  citizens  who  are  unarmed. 

We,  therefore,  only  exact,  not  that  any  Mexi 
can  shall  assist  us  against  his  country,  but  in  the 
present  war  he  remains  neutral;  for  it  cannot  be 
expected  in  a  contrary  event,  that  we  shall  respect 
the  rights  of  those  who  take  up  arms  against  our 
lives." 


Preceding  the  battle  of  Sacramento,  the 
American  residents  and  merchants  in  Chihuahua, 
of  whom  there  were  tiut  thirty,  received  ill  treatment 
from  the  Mexican  populace.  Indignities  and  in 
sults  were  offered  them.  They  were  mostly  kept 
in  custody,  and  not  permitted  to  pass  without  the 
limits  of  the  city.  They  were  tauntingly  told  that 
when  Col.  Doniphan  and  his  handful  of  men  ar 
rived  there,  they  would  be  hand-cuffed  and  deliver 
ed  over  to  the  populace,  to  be  dealt  with  as  their  cap 
rices  should  suggest,  and  their  humor  prompt  them. 
They  even  exulted  in  anticipation  of  the  tortures 
and  the  cruelties  they  meant  to  inflict  upon  the  "pre 
sumptuous  northern  invaders." 


Col.  Doniphan's  Letter. 

The  following  letter  was  written  by  Col.  Doni 
phan  to  Maj.  Ryland,  of  Lexington,  Mo.: 

Dear  Major: — How  often  have  I  again  and 
again  determined  to  send  you  my  hearty  curses  of 
everything  Mexican?  But,  then  I  knew  that  you 
had  seen  the  sterile  and  miserable  country,  and  its 
description  would  be  of  course,  no  novelty  to  you. 


110      NCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR. 

To  give  you,  however,  a  brief  outline  of  our  move 
ments,  I  have  to  say,  that  we  have  marched  to  Santa 
Fe,  by  Rent's  Fort;  thence  through  the  country  of 
the  Navajo  Indians  to  the  waters  of  the  Pacific 
ocean;  down  the  San  Juan  river,  the  Rio  Colorado 
and  the  Gila,  back  again  to  the  Rio  del  Norte ;  across 
the  Jornada  del  Muerto  to  Brazito,  where  we  fought 
the  battle  of  which  you  have  doubtless  seen  the  ac 
count;  thence  to  the  town  of  El  Paso  del  Norte, 
which  was  taken  by  us ;  thence  across  two  other 
Jordanas,  and  fought  the  battle  of  the  Sacramento, 
and  have  sent  you  herewith  a  copy  of  my  official  re 
port  of  the  same.  We  are  now  in  the  beautiful  city 
of  Chihuahua,  and  myself  in  the  palace  of  Gover 
nor  Trias. 

My  orders  are  to  report  to  Gen.  Wool;  but  I 
now  learn,  that  instead  of  taking  the  city  of  Chi 
huahua,  he  is  shut  up  at  Saltillo,  by  Santa  Anna. 
Our  position  will  be  ticklish,  if  Santa  Anna  should 
compell  Taylor  and  Wool  even  to  fall  back.  All 
Durango,  Zacatecas  and  Chihuahua  will  be  down 
upon  our  little  army.  We  are  out  of  reach  of  help, 
and  it  would  be  as  unsafe  to  go  backwards  as  for- 
wards. — High  spirits  and  a  bold  front,  is  perhaps 
the  best  and  the  safest  policy.  My  men  are  rough, 
ragged,  and  ready,  having  one  more  of  the  R's 
than  Gen.  Taylor  himself.  We  have  been  in  ser 
vice  nine  months,  and  my  men,  after  marching  two 
thousand  miles  over  mountains  and  deserts,  have 
not  received  one  dollar  of  their  pay,  yet  they  stand  it 
without  murmuring.  Half  rations,  hard  marches, 
and  no  clothes ;  but  they  are  still  game  to  the  last, 
and  curse  and  praise  their  country  by  turns,  but 
fight  for  her  all  the  time. 

No  troops  could  have  behaved  more  gallantly 
than  ours  in  the  battle  of  Sacramento.  When  we 
approached  the  enemy,  their  number  and  position 
would  have  deterred  any  troops  less  brave  or  de- 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR.       Ill 

termined,  from  the  attack ;  but  as  I  rode  from  rank 
to  rank,  I  could  see  nothing  but  the  stern  resolve 
to  conquer  or  die; — there  was  no  trepidation,  and 
no  pale  faces.  I  cannot  discriminate  between  com 
panies  or  individuals ;  all  have  done  their  duty  and 
have  done  it  nobly. 


Col.  Doniphan's  Report  to  Gen.  Wool. 

Col.  Doniphan  had  been  ordered  by  Gen.  Kear 
ney,  to  report  to  Brigadier-general  Wool  at  Chihua 
hua.  Instead  of  finding  Gen.  Wool  in  possession 
of  that  capital  as  anticipated,  he  now  had  informa 
tion  that  both  he  and  Gen.  Taylor  were  shut  up  at 
Saltillo,  and  hotly  beleaguered  by  Santa  Anna,  with 
an  overwhelming  force.  Notwithstanding  this 
state  of  affairs,  Col.  Doniphan  felt  it  his  duty  to  re 
port  to  Gen.  Wool,  wherever  he  might  be  found,  and 
afford  him  whatever  succor  might  be  in  his  power. 
Therefore  on  the  2Oth  he  dispatched  an  express  to 
Saltillo,  bearing  communications  to  Gen.  Wool. 
Besides  a  copy  of  his  official  report  of  the  Battle  of 
Sacramento,  was  the  following  dispatch : 

Headquarters  of  the  Army  in  Chihuahua. 

City  of  Chihuahua,  March  20,  1847. 
Sir  : — The  forces  under  my  command  are  a  por 
tion  of  the  Missouri  volunteers,  called  into  service 
for  the  purpose  of  invading  New  Mexico,  under  the 
command  of  Brigadier-general  (then  colonel)  Kear 
ney.  After  the  conquest  of  New  Mexico,  and  be 
fore  Gen.  Kearney's  departure  for  California,  in 
formation  was  received  that  another  regiment  and 
extra  battalion  of  Missouri  volunteers  would  follow 
us  to  Santa  Fe.  The  service  of  so  large  a  force 
being  wholy  unnecessary  in  that  State,  I  prevailed 
on  General  Kearney  to  order  my  regiment  to  report 
to  you  at  this  city.  The  order  was  given  on  the 


112      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR. 

23rd  of  September,  1846,  but  after  the  General  had 
arrived  at  La  Joya,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State, 
he  issued  an  order  requiring  my  regiment  to  make 
a  campaign  into  the  country  inhabited  by  the  Navajo 
Indians,  lying  between  the  waters  of  the  Rio  del 
Norte,  and  the  Rio  Colorado  of  the  west.  The  cam 
paign  detained  me  until  the  I4th  of  December,  be 
fore  our  return  to  the  Del  Norte  with  about  eight 
hundred  riflemen.  All  communications  between 
Chihuahua  and  New  Mexico  was  entirely  prevented. 
On  the  25th  of  December,  1846,  my  van-guard  was 
attacked  at  Brazito  by  the  Mexican  forces  from  this 
State;  our  force  was  about  four  hundred  and  fifty, 
and  the  force  of  the  enemy,  eleven  hundred ;  the  en 
gagement  lasted  about  forty  minutes,  when  the 
enemy  fled,  leaving  sixty-three  killed  and  since  dead, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  wounded,  and  one  howitzer, 
the  only  piece  of  artillery  in  the  engagement  on 
either  side.  On  the  27th  we  entered  El  Paso  with 
out  further  opposition ;  from  the  prisoners  and 
others  I  learned  that  you  had  not  marched  upon  this 
State.  I  then  determined  to  order  a  battery  and  one 
hundred  artillerists  from  New  Mexico.  They  ar 
rived  at  El  Paso  about  the  5th  of  February,  when 
we  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  this  place.  A  copy 
of  my  official  report  at  the  battle  of  Sacramento, 
enclosed  to  you,  will  show  you  all  our  subsequent 
movements  up  to  our  taking  military  possession  of 
this  capital.  The  day  of  my  arrival,  I  had  deter 
mined  to  send  an  express  to  you  forthwith ;  but  the 
whole  intermediate  country  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  and  we  were  cut  off,  and  had  been  for  many 
months,  from  all  information  respecting  the  Ameri 
can  Army.  Mexican  reports  are  never  to  be  fully 
credited ;  yet,  from  all  we  can  learn,  we  did  not  doubt 
that  you  would  be  forced  by  overwhelming  numbers 
to  abandon  Saltillo,  and  of  course  we  would  send  no 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR.       113 

express  under  such  circumstances.  On  yesterday 
we  received  the  first  even  tollerably  reliable  infor 
mation,  that  a  battle  had  been  fought  near  Saltillo 
between  the  American  and  Mexican  forces,  and  that 
Santa  Anna  had  probably  fallen  back  on  San  Louis 
de  Potosi. 

My  position  here  is  extremely  embarrassing. 
In  the  first  place,  most  of  the  men  under  my  com 
mand  have  been  in  service  since  the  ist  of  June,  have 
never  received  one  cent  of  pay.  Their  marches  have 
been  hard,  especially  in  the  Navajo  country,  and 
no  forage ;  so  that  they  are  literally  without  horses, 
clothes  or  money,  having  nothing  but  arms  and  dis 
position  to  use  them.  They  are  all  volunteers,  of 
ficers  and  men,  and  although  ready  for  any  hardship 
or  danger,  are  wholly  unfit  to  garrison  a  town  or 
city.  "It  is  confusion  worse  confounded."  Having 
performed  a  march  of  more  than  two  thousand 
miles,  and  their  term  of  service  rapidly  expiring, 
they  are  restless  to  join  the  army  under  your  com 
mand.  Still  we  cannot  leave  this  point  safely  for 
some  days — the  American  merchants  here  oppose 
it  violently,  and  have  several  hundred  thousand  dol 
lars  at  stake.  They  have  sent  me  a  memorial,  and 
my  determination  has  been  made  known  to  them. 
A  copy  of  both  they  will  send  you.  Of  one  thing  it 
is  necessary  to  inform  you :  the  merchants  admit 
that  their  goods  could  not  be  sold  here  in  five  years ; 
if  they  go  south  they  will  be  as  near  the  markets 
of  Durango  and  Zacatecas  as  they  now  are.  I  am 
anxious  and  willing  to  protect  the  merchants  as  far 
as  practicable ;  but  I  protest  against  remaining  here 
as  a  mere  wagon-guard,  to  garrison  a  city  with 
troops  wholly  unfit  for  it,  and  who  will  be  soon  ruin 
ed  by  improper  indulgences.  Having  been  originally 
ordered  to  this  point,  you  know  the  wishes  of  the 
government  in  relation  to  it,  and  of  course  your  or 
ders  will  be  promptly  and  cheerfully  obeyed.  I 


114      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

fear  there  is  ample  use  for  us  with  you,  and  we 
would  greatly  prefer  joining  you  before  our  term  of 
service  expires. 

All  information  relative  to  my  previous  opera 
tions,  present  conditions,  &c.,  will  be  given  you  by 
Mr.  J.  Collins,  the  bearer  of  dispatches.  He  is  a 
highly  honorable  gentleman,  and  was  an  amateur 
soldier  at  Sacramento.  Very  respectfully  your 
obedient  servant, 

A.  W.  DONIPHAN, 
Col.  ist  Regiment  Missouri  Cavalry. 
Brigadier-general  Wool,  U.  S.  Army. 


Off  For  Saltillo. 

It  was  Colonel  Doniphan's  intention,  when  he 
dispatched  the  express  to  Saltillo,  to  move  his  for 
ces  to  San  Pablo,  in  the  valley  of  the  Conchos,  or  to 
Santa  Rosalia,  according  as  he  might  find  forage, 
leaving  only  such  a  garrison  in  Chihuahua  as  would 
be  sufficient  to  afford  protection  to  the  American 
merchants. 

Conformably  to  his  designs,  on  the  5th  of  April, 
the  2nd  battalion,  under  Major  Gilpin,  and  the  bat 
talion  of  artillery,  under  Major  Clark,  (which  now 
consisted  of  two  companies  commanded  by  Weight- 
man  and  Hudson,  the  latter  having  charge  of  the 
Mexican  pieces,)  were  ordered  to  proceed  to  San 
Pablo.  The  ist  battalion,  under  Lieutenant-colonel 
Jackson,  was  soon  to  succeed  them.  On  the  Qth, 
however,  Colonel  Doniphan,  while  at  San  Pablo, 
received  a  communication  from  Hicks,  an  American 
at  Parral,  advising  him  that  a  strong  Mexican  force 
was  on  the  march  from  Durango  to  Chihuahua,  to 
recover  the  capital,  and  seize  the  goods  of  the 
American  merchants.  Col.  Doniphan,  not  suspect 
ing  but  such  a  project  was  in  contemplation,  from 


INCDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR.       115 

the  rumors  and  statements  which  had  come  to  him, 
determined  to  return  and  hold  possession  of  the  capi 
tal,  until  he  should  hear  from  Gen.  Wool.  Jack 
son's  battalion  did  not  leave  the  city. 

"For  fifty-nine  days,"  observed  an  intelligent 
volunteer,  "we  held  full  and  undisturbed  possession 
of  the  city,  keeping  up  strict  discipline  with  a  con 
stant  guard,  and  a  patrol  during  the  whole  night, 
visiting  every  part  of  the  city.  Various  rumors 
were  afloat  of  the  intended  march  of  the  enemy,  to 
attack  us,  and  sometimes  report  said,  that  there 
were  several  thousand  on  the  road ;  but  it  is  certain, 
that  if  we  had  remained  in  the  place  until  this  day, 
they  never  would  have  approached  it,  with  any 
force,  less  than  eight  or  ten  thousand;  and,  having 
the  advantage  of  the  houses  and  walls,  a  less  number 
could  have  never  driven  us  from  the  city.  The 
rights  of  citizens  there,  as  in  every  other  place,  were 
duly  respected;  and  their  conduct  after  our  depart 
ure  shows,  that  this  treatment  was  not  lost  upon 
them ;  for  several  traders  who  remained  there,  were 
well  treated  and  there  rights  duly  regarded." 

Every  preparation  having  been  completed  by 
the  indefatigable  exertions  of  the  quartermaster,  and 
officers  of  subsistance,  which  was  necessary  for  the 
long  and  arduous  march  to  Saltillo,  a  distance  of 
six  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles,  through  the  arid 
and  desolate  country,  the  battalion  and  artillery  com 
menced  the  march  on  the  25th  of  April,  and  was 
succeeded  on  the  following  day  by  the  first  battalion. 
These  were  to  await  the  rear,  and  the  merchants  and 
baggage  trains,  at  Santa  Rosalia,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  from  Chihuahua. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  a  scene  of  the  most 
busy  and  animating  nature  ensued.  The  Americans 
were  actively  engaged  in  hastening  preparations  for 
their  departure.  The  Mexicans,  with  their  serapes 
thrown  around  them,  were  standing  at  the  corners 


113      INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR. 

of  the  streets  in  groups,  speculating  as  to  the  future. 
The  long  trains  of  baggage  and  provision  wagons 
were  stretching  out  toward  the  south.  Part  of  the 
merchant  trains  were  moving  off  in  the  direction  of 
New  Mexico,  taking  with  them  little,  however,  ex 
cept  their  specie,  or  bullion.  The  2nd  battalion  with 
colors  thrown  to  the  breeze,  was  anxiously  awaiting 
the  order  to  march. 


More  of  Cupid's  Work. 

Certain  of  the  fair  Mexican  girls,  who  had  con 
ceived  an  unconquerable  attachment  for  some  favor 
ite  paramour  of  the  Anglo-saxon  race,  with  blue 
eyes  and  fair  hair,  dressed  in  the  habit  of  Mexican 
youths,  were  gaily  dashing  through  the  streets  on 
their  curveting  steeds.  They  accompanied  their 
lovers  on  the  march  to  Saltillo,  and  bivouacked  with 
them  on  the  deserts. 

About  ten  o'clock,  Col.  Doniphan,  having  de 
livered  over  to  the  city  authorities  the  Mexican  pris 
oners,  captured  at  Sacramento,  to  be  disposed  of 
by  them  as  deemed  advisable  for  the  public  good, 
quietly  evacuated  the  capital,  leaving  the  govern 
ment  in  the  hands  of  its  former  rulers.  About  ten 
American  merchants  remained,  and  trusted  their 
lives  to  the  "magnanimous  Mexican  people."  These 
were  chiefly  such  men  as  had  great  knowledge  of 
the  Mexican  customs  and  language,  and  had  taken 
the  oatri  of  allegiance  to  that  government.  The 
magnificent,  architectural  beauty  of  the  city,  was 
left  wholly  unimpaired,  and  the  property  of  the  citi 
zens  uninjured. 

Colonel  Doniphan,  by  unparalleled  marches, 
overtook  the  advance  at  Santa  Rosalia,  on  the  ist 
of  May,  having  in  four  days  passed  Bachimbo,  Santa 
Cruz,  Soucillo,  and  completed  one  hundred  and 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       117 

twenty  miles.  Santa  Rosalia  contained  about  five 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  situated  at  the  junction 
of  the  Conchos  and  Florida  rivers.  Here  the  Mexi 
can  forces  under  Gen.  Heredia  had  thrown  up  a  line 
of  fortifications,  entirely  surrounding  the  city,  ex 
cept  where  the  rivers  and  bluffs  were  impassable, 
strengthened  by  an  almost  impregnable  fortress. 
On  the  outside  of  the  embankments  were  intrench- 
ments,  impassable  by  cavalry.  These  embankments 
were  also  strengthened  by  numerous  bastions,  in 
which  cannon  were  to  be  employed. 

Some  assert  that  these  fortifications  were 
thrown  up  to  defend  the  place  against  Gen.  Wool, 
who  was  expected  to  pass  that  way  on  his  march 
upon  Chihuahua.  Others  aver  that  it  was  the  in 
tention  of  the  Mexicans,  if  defeated  at  Sacramento, 
to  remove  their  public  archives,  and  all  their  muni 
tions  of  war,  into  this  strong  hold,  and  there  make 
a  desperate  stand :  but  that  losing  all  their  cannon 
and  means  of  defence  in  the  action  of  the  28th,  they 
abandoned  their  purpose.  It  is  true,  however,  that 
extensive  preparations  had  been  made  to  defend  the 
city  against  an  invading  army. 

On  the  2nd,  Lieutenant-colonel  Mitchell,  with 
a  detatchment  of  twenty-six  men  under  Capt.  Pike, 
of  the  Arkansas  cavalry,  and  seventy  men  under 
Capt.  Reid,  left  the  main  body  of  the  army,  and 
proceeded  in  advance  to  Parras,  a  distance  of  near 
five  hundred  miles.  The  movements  of  the  main 
column,  however,  \vere  so  rapid  that  the  pioneer 
party,  in  case  of  a  sudden  emergency,  could  have 
fallen  back  upon  it  for  support.  The  object  of  this 
reconnoitering  party  was  to  obtain  the  earliest  in 
formation  of  either  a  covert  or  open  enemy,  who 
might  meditate  an  attack  upon  the  trains,  or  seize 
upon  some  favorable  moment  to  surprise  the  army ; 
and  also  to  procure  at  Parras  such  supplies  as  might 
be  necessarv  for  the  use  of  the  men  and  animals. 


118       INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR. 

After  a  hasty  march  of  sixty  miles  in  two  days 
we  came  to  Guajuqilla,  on  the  Rio  Florida,  contain 
ing  an  industrious  and  agricultural  population,  where 
we  obtained  an  abundance  of  forage.  Here,  also, 
the  soldiers  purchased  chickens,  pigs,  cheese,  eggs, 
bread,  wine,  and  a  variety  of  vegetables. 

At  this  place  there  are  a  great  number  of  beauti 
ful  canals,  which  convey  the  most  lovely  and  de 
lightful  streams  of  water  through  the  whole  town 
and  neighboring  fields  and  gardens.  The  fields  of 
green  wheat  and  garden  shrubbery,  the  quivering 
leaves  of  alamos,  and  the  rippling  streams  of  cool, 
transparent  water,  seemed  to  invite  the  war-worn 
soldiers  to  linger  amidst  the  charming  scene,  and 
even  awaken  in  his  mind  thoughts  of  home,  and  the 
green  bowers  of  his  native  country.  This  valley, 
if  properly  cultivated,  would  yield  a  support  for  a 
dense  population.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  the  nature 
of  the  ground  is  such  that  it  is  susceptible  of  com 
plete  irrigation. 

Early  the  next  day  the  commander  moved  his 
forces  up  the  river  about  six  miles,  to  the  Hacienda 
Dolores.  He  allowed  them  a  short  respite,  ordered 
them  to  prepare  provisions,  and  fill  their  canteens 
with  water  before  commencing  the  march  over  the 
desert,  upon  which  they  were  now  to  enter.  This 
desert  is  seventy-five  miles  over,  extending  to  the 
Santa  Bernada  spring;  and  the  road  is  terrible  by 
reasons  of  the  dust.  The  troops  having  taken  a 
few  hours  rest,  and  a  little  refreshment,  launched 
out  in  long  files  upon  the  Jornada,  followed  by  all 
the  baggage,  provision,  and  merchant  trains,  a  great 
cloud  of  dust  hanging  heavily  and  gloomily  along 
the  line  of  march. 

After  sunset  a  sullen  and  lowering  cloud  arose 
in  the  south-west,  heavily  charged  with  electric  fluid 
and  with  frequent  flashes  of  lightning,  and  hoarse 
distant  thunder,  swept  majestically  over  the  rocky 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       119 

summits  of  the  detached  mountains,  which  every 
where  traverse  the  elevated  plains  of  Mexico. 
Heavy,  gloomy,  pitchy  darkness  enveloped  the  earth. 
The  road  could  only  be  seen,  when  revealed  by  a 
sudden  flash  of  lightning.  The  pennons  continued 
to  stream  and  flutter  in  the  wild  gales  of  the  desert. 
These,  together  with  the  rising  clouds  of  dust, 
served  as  guides  to  the  soldiers  in  the  rear.  The  ar 
tillery  rumbled  over  the  rocks,  and  the  fire  sparkled 
beneath  the  wheels.  At  length  heavy  sleep  and  fa 
tigue  oppressed  many;  but  the  night  march  on  the 
desert  was  still  continued.  It  was  folly  to  halt  for 
no  water  could  be  obtained.  .  The  soldiers  were 
greatly  wearied ;  some  of  them  almost  fell  from  their 
horses.  Some  dropped  their  arms,  and  were  neces 
sitated  to  search  for  them,  while  the  rest  marched 
by,  wagged  their  heads,  and  made  sport  and  laugh 
ter.  Some  straggled  off  and  lay  down  upon  the 
desert,  overpowered  by  sleep.  Some,  gifted  with  a 
richer  fund  of  wit,  a  finer  flow  of  spirits,  a  nobler 
store  of  mental  treasure,  and  more  physical  endur 
ance,  sang  Yankee  Doodle,  love  songs,  and  relate^ 
stories  to  the  groups  that  gathered  around,  as  it 
were,  to  extract  one  spark  of  life  to  aid  them  on  the 
march.  About  midnight  a  halt  was  ordered.  The 
tired  and  sleepy  soldiers  tethered  their  animals,  and 
lay  down  in  the  dark  promiscuously,  on  the  desert, 
wherever  they  chanced  to  find  a  smooth  spot  ot 
earth.  They  took  no  supper  that  night. 


The  Plague  of  Lizards. 

There  are  a  great  many  lizards  in  Chihuahua 
and  Durango,  and  it  appeared  as  if  the  desert  was 
their  headquarters ;  for  they  crept  into  the  men's 
blankets  and  bedding  and  annoyed  them  greatly 
while  sleeping.  Suddenly  aroused  from  slumber 


190       NCIDSNTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR. 

by  these  slimy  companions,  the  soldiers  would  some 
times  shake  their  blankets,  toss  the  scorpions  and 
lizards,  and  alacrans,  upon  their  sleeping  neighbors, 
exclaiming  angrily,  "d — n  the  scorpion  family." 
The  others,  half  overpowered  by  sleep,  would  sul 
lenly  articulate,  "don't  throw  your  d — n  lizards 
here."  Thus  they  lay,  more  anxious  to  obtain  a 
little  slumber,  then  to  escape  a  swarm  of  these  re 
pulsive  reptiles. 


A  Terrible  .Experience. 

The  march  was  commenced  early  the  next 
morning.  The  dust  was  absolutely  intolerable. 
The  soldiers  could  not  march  in  lines.  They  were 
now  already  become  thirsty,  and  it  was  yet  forty 
miles  to  water.  The  dust  rilled  their  mouths,  and 
nostrils,  and  eyes,  and  covered  them  completely. 
They  were  much  distressed  during  the  whole  day. 
Many  of  them  became  faint,  and  their  tongues  swol 
len.  The  horses,  and  often  the  stubborn  and  re 
fractory  mules,  would  fail  in  the  sand,  and  neither 
the  spur  nor  the  point  of  the  sabre  was  sufficient  to 
stimulate  them.  Sometimes  the  volunteer,  boiling 
with  ire,  would  dismount  and  attempt  to  drag  the 
sullen  mule  along  by  the  lariat.  How  earnestly 
he  then  desired  once  more  to  be  in  the  land  of  the 
gushing  fountains,  verdant  groves,  rail  roads,  steam 
boats  and  telegraph  wires . 

The  teamsters,  and  those  with  the  artillery,  and 
the  animals,  suffered  extremely.  But  they  endured 
it  all  with  patience.  After  suffering  every  hardship, 
privation  and  distress  by  marching,  with  men  most 
necessarily  experienced  in  passing  such  a  desert, 
they  arrived  at  the  spring,  Santa  Bernada,  at  sun 
set.  Here  is  a  grove  of  willows  and  alamos.  These 
afford  a  pleasant  shade.  There  is  also  at  this  place 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   \VAR.       121 

a  copious  gushing  spring,  which  furnished  an  abun 
dance  of  water  for  the  men  and  animals.  This  spot 
with  its  groves  and  springs,  disrobed  of  all  poetry, 
proved  in  reality  to  be  an  oasis,  a  smiling,  inviting 
retreat  in  a  desert,  desolate,  treeless  waste  of  sand, 
rocks  and  naked  mountains.  Here  the  soldiers  took 
rest  and  repose. 

On  the  sixth  of  May  the  army  advanced  into 
the  state  of  Durango,  at  the  Cerro  Gordo.  This 
river  terminates  in  Laguna  de  Xacco.  The  follow 
ing  day  we  arrived  at  the  outpost,  Palayo,  where 
our  advance  had  the  previous  day  taken  some  horses 
and  a  few  Mexican  soldiers.  This  small  military 
station  was  about  one  league  from  the  town  of  Jar- 
rilito.  Since  1835  the  Indians  had  encroached  up 
on  the  frontiers  of  Mexico  and  laid  waste  many 
flourishing  settlements,  waging  predatory  warfare, 
and  leading  women  and  children  into  captivity:  In 
fact  the  whole  of  Mexico  was  a  frontier.  An  ele 
vated  Table  Plain  extends  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
to  the  foot  of  the  Cordilleras,  intersecting  by  in 
numerable  ranges  of  mountains,  and  clustering, 
isolated  and  conical-shaped  peaks,  which  were  in 
fested  by  bands  of  savages,  and  still  fiercer  Mexican 
banditti.  No  effort  of  the  Mexican  government  had 
been  able  to  suppress  and  oust  these  ruthless  invad 
ers  of  the  country. 


Excusable  Foraging. 

At  Palayo  some  of  the  men  killed  a  few  beeves, 
pigs  and  chickens,  belonging  to  the  Mexicans,  and 
feasted  upon  them  at  night.  There  was  much  to 
palliate  this  offence.  The  regiment  had  been 
marched  at  the  rate  of  thirty-five  or  forty  miles  per 
day,  over  a  dusty,  desert  country,  almost  entirely 
destitute  of  water.  Most  of  the  men  had  not  had 


122      INCIDENTS   OF   THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

a  pound  of  meat  for  the  last  three  days.  Besides 
the  exigency  of  the  case,  the  State  of  Durango  was 
at  that  very  moment  in  arms  against  us.  Would  the 
most  scrupulously  moral  man  denounce  his  son  as 
a  thief  and  a  robber,  because  after  traveling  more 
than  three  thousand  miles  by  land,  and  having  spent 
the  last  cent  of  his  slender  resources  for  bread,  cold 
ly  neglected  by  his  government,  he  found  it  neces 
sary  to  kill  an  ox  or  pig  to  satisfy  hunger,  or  should 
think  proper  to  mount  himself  on  a  Mexican  horse, 
in  a  country  which  the  prowess  of  his  own  arm  had 
been  instrumental  in  subduing?  It  is  one  thing  for 
the  philosopher  to  sit  in  his  studio  and  spin  out  hi3 
finely  drawn  metaphysical  doctrines,  and  another, 
and  entirely  different  thing,  to  put  them  in  practice 
under  very  adverse  circumstances.  What  is  most 
beautiful  in  theory,  is  not  always  wise  in  practice. 


Good  News  Is  Received. 

On  the  8th  the  command  reached  the  Hacienda 
Cadenas,  twenty-four  miles  from  Palayo.  Here  we 
obtained  the  information  of  Gen.  Scott's  great  vic 
tory  at  Cerro  Gordo.  At  such  welcome  tidings  a 
thrilling  sensation  of  joy  prevaded  our  camp. 
Here  we  took  possession  of  another  piece  of  cannon, 
which,  although  well  mounted,  Col.  Doniphan  re 
stored  to  the  inhabitants.  On  the  gth  a  march  of 
twenty-two  miles  brought  us  to  the  city  of  Mapimi, 
which  had  steadily  manifested  the  greatest  hostility 
to  the  Americans.  This  was  a  mining  town.  It 
had  five  furnaces  for  smelting  silver  ore,  and  one 
for  smelting  lead  ore.  It  was  one  of  the  richest 
towns  in  the  State,  excepting  the  capital.  The 
Mexican  forces,  three  thousand  strong,  fled  from 
Mapimi  and  Durango  upon  our  approach,  and  left 
the  state  completely  in  our  power,  had  Gen.  Wool 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR.       123 

but  permitted  us  to  visit  the  capital.  General  Here- 
dia,  and  Governor  Ochoa,  of  Durango,  wrote  to 
Santa  Anna  to  send  them  twenty  pieces  of  cannon 
and  five  thousand  regular  troops,  or  the  state  of 
Durango  would  immediately  fall  into  the  hands  of 
Col.  Doniphan's  regiment,  if  he  saw  proper  to  direct 
his  march  against  it.  Upon  our  arrival  at  Mapimi 
we  obtained  more  certain  intelligence  of  the  victory 
of  the  American  forces  over  the  Mexicans  at  Cerro 
Gordo,  in  honor  of  which  a  national  salute  of 
twenty-eight  guns  were  fired  by  Weightman's  bat 
tery.  Here,  also,  a  copy  of  Gov.  Ochoa's  procla 
mation  was  found,  in  which  he  earnestly  exhorted 
the  inhabitants  of  Durango  never  to  cease  warring 
until  they  had  repelled  the  "North  American  inva 
ders"  from  the  soil  of  Mexico. 

This  day's  march  had  been  excessively  hot  and 
suffocating,  and  extremely  severe  upon  the  sick. 
Just  before  reaching  Mapimi,  2nd  Lieutenant  Steph 
en  Jackson,  of  Howard,  died  of  an  inveterate  attack 
of  typhoid  fever.  Lieutenant  Jackson  was  taken  ilJ 
in  the  Navajo  country,  and  had  never  entirely  re 
covered.  He  was  not  at  the  Battle  of  Brazito,  be- 
ine  at  that  time  sick  in  Saccorro ;  but  he  afterwards 
fought  with  great  bravery  in  the  more  important 
action  at  Sacramento.  His  corpse  was  interred  (on 
Sunday  the  Qth)  with  appropriate  military  honors. 
Also,  the  priest  of  Mapimi  in  his  robes,  with  the 
Bible  in  his  hands,  and  three  boys  dressed  in  white 
pelisses,  two  of  them  bearing  torches,  and  the  third 
in  the  center  with  a  crucifix  reared  upon  a  staff, 
proceeded  the  bier,  first  to  the  Catholic  church,  and 
then  to  the  grave,  at  both  of  which  places  the  Catho 
lic  ceremonies  were  performed. 

On  the  loth  we  made  a  powerful  march  of  near 
forty  miles  to  San  Sebastian  on  the  Rio  Nazas.  The 
heat  and  dust  were  almost  insufferable.  Don  Igna- 
cio  Jermanez,  who  attemped  to  capture  the  express 


124      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

men,  fled  to  the  city  of  Durango.  The  army  forag 
ed  upon  him  for  the  night,  with  the  promise  to  pay 
him  with  powder  and  balls  at  sight.  The  Rio  Nazas 
is  a  beautiful  stream,  full  of  fish,  and  empties  into 
the  three  lakes,  Tagualila,  Las  Abas,  and  Del  Ala 
mo.  During  the  fatiguing  march,  two  men,  King 
and  Ferguson  died  of  sickness,  heat  and  suffoca 
tion.  They  were  buried  at  San  Sebastian. 


Well  Populated   Town. 

On  the  nth  the  command  marched  to  San 
Lorenzo,  a  distance  of  thirty-five  miles,  along  a 
heavy  dusty  road,  hedged  in  by  an  immense  and 
almost  impervious  chaparral.  The  heat  was  abso 
lutely  oppresive — water  scarce.  In  this  thick  cha 
parral,  Canales,  with  a  band  of  about  four  hundred 
robbers,  had  concealed  himself  with  the  view  of 
cutting  off  stragglers  from  our  army,  and  commit 
ting  depredations  on  our  merchant  and  provision 
trains.  But  our  method  of  marching  with  our  ar 
tillery  and  one  battalion  in  front  and  the  other  bat 
talion  in  the  rear  of  the  trains  and  droves  of  mules, 
anticipated  his  premeditated  attack.  After  our  ar 
rival  in  San  Lorenzo,  a  Mexican  courier  came  to 
the  colonel  with  news  that  Canales  had  made  an  at 
tack  upon  McGofrin's  train  of  wagons,  and  that  Mc- 
Goffin  and  his  lady  were  likely  to  fall  into  their 
hands.  A  detachment  of  sixty  men  under  Lieut. 
Gordon  was  quickly  sent  to  his  relief.  They  antici 
pated  Canales'  movement.  This  little  village,  San 
Lorenzo,  had  an  over  portion  of  inhabitants.  Every 
house  and  hut  was  crowded  with  men,  boys,  women 
and  children.  Almost  every  woman  old  and  young 
had  a  child  in  her  arms,  and  some  of  them  more  than 
one.  Whether  this  superabundance  of  population 
was  the  legitimate  effect  of  the  salubrious  climate, 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.      125 

or  was  produced  by  some  other  circumstances,  is 
left  for  the  reader  to  consider.  The  march  that  day 
was  distressing  hot  and  dusty.  A  Mr.  Mount,  of 
the  company  from  Jackson  county,  straggled  off 
in  the  chaparral,  and  has  never  since  been  heard  of ; 
he  was  doubtless  murdered  and  then  robbed  by  lurk 
ing  Mexicans. 

On  the  1 2th  early  in  the  morning,  the  front 
guard  charged  and  took  three  Mexican  prisoners; 
they  were  armed  and  lurking  in  the  mezquite  chap 
arral  near  the  road,  and  were  doubtless  spies  sent 
out  by  Canales  to  obtain  information  of  our  move 
ments,  but  no  positive  proof  appearing  against  them, 
they  were  released.  As  our  animals  were  much 
worn  down  by  the  previous  day's  march,  and  it  being 
impossible  to  procure  forage  for  them,  we  only 
marched  15  miles  that  day,  to  the  little  rancho,  San 
Juan,  on  a  brazo  or  arm  of  the  Rio  Nazas. — Here 
both  man  and  horse  fared  badly.  As  our  next  day's 
march  was  to  be  over  a  desert  region  of  near  forty 
miles  without  a  drop  of  water,  or  even  a  mouthful 
of  food  for  our  famishing  animals ;  and  also  as  the 
water  had  to  be  raised  from  a  well  into  pools  and 
vats  at  El  Poso,  where  the  army  was  to  encamp  on 
the  night  of  the  I3th,  Lieut.  Pope  Gordon  and  fif 
teen  or  twenty  men  were  sent  at  midnight,  in 
advance,  to  draw  water  for  the  use  of  the  army. 
At  9  a.  m.,  Lieut.  Gordon  and  his  advance  arrived 
at  El  Poso,  where  he  found  Capt.  Reid,  with  four 
teen  men.  Captain  Reid,  as  elsewhere  observed, 
had  accompanied  Lieutenant-colonel  Mitchell  on  his 
way  to  Saltillo,  with  a  detatchment  of  seventy  or 
eighty  men. 


Rescuing  the  Captives. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  Parras  (a  city  where  Gen. 
eral  Wool  had  taken  up  his  headquarters  before  he 


126      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR. 

formed  a  junction  with  General  Taylor,  and  which 
had  been  very  friendly  to  the  Americans,  in  the  way 
of  furnishing  supplies  and  taken  care  of  Gen. 
Wool's  sick  men,)  they  found  the  inhabitants  in 
much  distress.  A  band  of  Comanches  had  just 
made  descent  from  the  mountains  upon  the  city, 
and  killed  eight  or  ten  of  the  citizens,  carried  off 
nineteen  girls  and  boys  into  captivity,  and  driven 
off  three  hundred  mules  and  two  hundred  horses. 
Besides  this,  they  had  robbed  houses  of  money, 
blankets,  and  the  sacred  household  gods.  They 
besought  Capt.  Reid  to  interfere  in  their  behalf; 
that  although  they  were  considered  enemies  to  the 
Americans,  it  did  not  become  the  magnanimity  of 
the  American  soldiers  to  see  them  robbed  and  mur 
dered  by  a  lawless  band  of  savages,  the  avowed 
enemies  of  both  the  Mexicans  and  the  Americans. 
Capt.  Reid  undertook  to  recover  the  innocent  cap 
tives  and  chastise  the  the  brutal  savage.  This  is  the 
occassion  of  Capt.  Reid's  being  at  El  Poso  on  the 
morning  of  the  I3th.  Just  as  Lieutenant  Gordon 
and  Capt.  Reid  joined  their  forces,  the  Indians, 
about  sixty-five  in  number,  made  their  appearance, 
advancing  upon  the  hacienda  from  a  canyon  or 
pass  in  the  mountain  toward  the  south.  They  had 
all  their  spoils  and  captives  with  them.  Their  in 
tention  was  to  water  their  stock  at  El  Poso,  and 
augment  the  number  of  their  prisoners  and  ani 
mals.  Capt.  Reid  concealed  his  men  (about  thirty- 
five  in  number)  in  the  hacienda,  and  sent  out  Don 
Manuel  Ybarro,  a  Mexican,  and  three  or  four  of  his 
servants  to  decoy  the  Indians  into  the  hacienda.  The 
feint  succeeded.  When  the  Indians  came  within 
half  a  mile,  the  order  was  given  to  charge  upon 
them,  which  was  gallantly  and  promptly  done. 
Capt.  Reid,  Lieuts.  Gordon,  Winson  and  Sproule, 
were  the  officers  present  in  this  engagement,  all  of 
whom  behaved  very  gallantly.  The  Indians  fought 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       127 

with  desperation  for  their  rich  spoils.  Many  in 
stances  of  individual  prowess  and  daring  were  ex 
hibited  by  Capt.  Reid  and  his  men,  too  numerous, 
indeed,  to  recount  in  detail;  the  captain  himself,  in 
a  daring  charge  upon  the  savages,  received  two 
severe  wounds,  one  in  the  face  and  the  other  in  the 
shoulder.  These  wounds  were  both  produced  by 
steel  pointed  arrows.  This  engagement  lasted  not 
less  than  two  hours,  and  was  kept  up  hotly  until  the 
Indians  made  good  their  retreat  to  the  mountains. 
In  the  skirmish  we  lost  none.  The  Indians  lost 
seventeen  on  the  field  and  not  less  than  twenty-five 
badly  wounded,  among  the  former  was  the  Chief  or 
Sachem.  We  recovered  in  this  battle  all  the  ani 
mals  and  spoils  which  the  Indians  had  taken  from 
the  Mexicans,  and  restored  the  captive  boys  and 
girls  to  their  friends  and  relatives. 

Let  those  whose  moral  scruples  induce  them  to 
doubt  the  propriety  of  Capt.  Reid's  brilliant  sortie 
upon  the  Indians,  consider  that  the  Comanches  had 
rarely  failed  to  murder  and  torture  in  the  most" 
cruel  manner,  without  discrimination,  all  Americans 
who  had  unfortunately  fallen  into  their  hands. 
The  Comanches  were  our  uncompromising  enemies. 
Read  the  brutal  treatment  Mrs.  Horn  and  others  re 
ceived  of  them,  and  you  can  but  justify  Capt.  Reid's 
conduct.  In  truth  he  deserves  the  gratitude  of 
both  Mexicans  and  Americans,  for  the  chastisement 
he  visited  upon  the  heads  of  those  barbarous 
wretches.  The  people  of  Parras  expressed  their 
gratitude  to  Capt.  Reid  and  his  men  in  the  follow 
ing  handsome  and  complimentary  terms : 


Letter  of  thanks  from  the  people  of  Parras  to 
Captain  John  W.  Reed,  and  his  men,  after  the  bat 
tle  of  Posso,  translated  by  Capt.  David  Waldo. 


128      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Political  Head  of  the  Department  of  P arras. 

At  the  first  notice  that  the  Indians,  after  having 
murdered  many  of  our  citizens  and  taken  others  cap 
tives,  were  returning  to  their  homes  through  this 
vicinity,  you,  most  generously  and  gallantly,  with 
fifteen  of  your  countrymen,  to  combat  them  at  the 
Poso,  which  you  most  bravely  executed  with  celer 
ity*  skill,  and  heroism,  and  worthy  of  all  encomium, 
meriting  your  brilliant  success,  which  we  shall  ever 
commemorate.  You  retook  many  animals,  and 
other  property  which  had  been  captured,  and  libera 
ted  eighteen  captives,  who  by  your  gallantry  and 
and  good  conduct  have  been  restored  to  their  fami 
lies  and  homes,  giving  you  the  most  hearty  and  cor 
dial  thanks,  even  feeling  grateful  to  you  as  their 
liberator  from  a  life  of  ignominy  and  thraldom, 
with  the  deep  gratitude  the  whole  population  of 
this  place  entertain  in  ever  living  thanks.  One  half 
of  the  Indians  being  killed  in  the  combat,  and  many 
flying  badly  wounded,  does  not  quiet  the  pain  that 
all  of  us  feel  for  the  wound  that  you  received  in 
rescuing  Christian  beings  from  the  cruelty  of  the 
most  inhuman  savages. 

All  of  us  hope  that  you  may  soon  recover  of 
your  wound,  and  though  they  know  that  the  noblest 
reward  of  the  gallant  soul  is  to  have  done  well  for 
his  country,  yet  they  cannot  forego  this  expression 
of  their  gratitude. 

I  consider  it  a  high  honor  to  be  the  organ  of 
their  will  in  conveying  to  you  the  general  feeling 
of  the  people  of  the  place ;  and  I  pray  you  to  accept 
the  assurance  of  my  high  respect.  God  and  Liberty. 

DON  IGNACIO  ARRABE. 
Parras,  i8th  May,  1847. 


On  the  evening  of  the  I4th  of  May  the  army 
reached  the  delightful  city  of  Parras,  handsomely 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       129 

situated  at  the  northern  base  of  .a  lofty  range  of 
mountains  running  east  and  west,  after  having  per 
formed  a  fatiguing  march  of  thirty-six  miles, 
without  one  drop  of  water,  and  almost  without  see 
ing  one  sprig  of  green  vegetation,  save  the  pointed 
maguey,  and  the  bristling  cactus.  At  Parras  we 
found  a  plentiful  supply  of  good  water  and  forage 
for  our  perishing  animals.  We  found  Parras  in  re 
ality  to  possess  whatever  of  charm  the  imagination 
had  thrown  around  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
oases.  We  found  a  lovely  alameda  to  screen  us 
from  the  scorching  of  rays  of  an  almost  vertical 
sun ;  besides  a  variety  of  fruit  to  satisfy  the  eager 
appetite.  Parras  was  famous  for  its  pretty  women, 
and  for  the  intelligence  of  its  population  generally, 
many  of  the  citizens  having  received  an  English 
education  in  the  United  States.  The  people  were 
much  inclined  to  favor  the  institutions  and  govern 
ment  of  our  country.  Don  Manuel  Ybarro,  the 
proprietor  of  a  large  hacienda  near  Parras,  was 
educated  at  Bardstown,  Ky.,  and  acted  a  very 
friendly  part  toward  the  American  troops. 


A  Respite  Granted. 

Upon  Col.  Doniphan's  reaching  Parras,  he  re 
ceived  a  communication  from  Gen.  Wool,  by  the 
hands  of  Ybarro,  in  which  he  was  authorized  to 
purchase,  on  the  credit  of  the  United  States,  such 
provision  and  forage  as  his  men  and  animals  re 
quired;  he  was  also  instructed  to  allow  his  men 
such  a  respite  as  their  condition,  after  so  much  toil, 
and  so  many  distressing  marches,  seemed  to  demand 
and  to  extend  to  the  intelligent  and  hospitable  citf- 
zens  of  Parras  kind  treatment  in  reciprocation  for 
their  numerous  acts  of  benevolence  toward  the  sick 
Americans,  whom  he  had  been  forced  to  leave  at 


130      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

that  place,  upon  his  forming  a  junction  with  Gen. 
Taylor,  at  Saltillo. 


Bad  Feeling  Engendered. 

Though  the  Missourians  manifested  the  utmost 
civilty  toward  the  inhabitants  of  Parras,  one  incident 
occurred  to  mar  the  general  harmony  and  good 
feeling  which  had  prevailed.  A  few  disaffected 
Mexicans  fell  upon  a  man,  Lickenlighter,  in  tlie 
employ  of  the  artillery,  and  with  staves  and  stones, 
bruised  him  so  that  he  subsequently  died  in  Mon 
terey.  This  aggravated  instance  of  cruelty,  com 
menced  by  the  Mexicans,  excited  the  artillery-men, 
and  all  the  Missourians,  to  such  a  degree  that  they 
fell  upon  whatever  Mexicans  exhibited  the  least 
insolence,  and  beat  them  severly.  Some  say  that 
two  of  them  were  killed,  but  of  this  nothing  certain 
is  known.  Nor  were  the  officers  able  to  restrain  the 
men.  Capt.  Pike  and  a  portion  of  the  advance  un 
der  Lieutenant-colonel  Mitchell,  having  halted  at 
this  place,  now  rejoined  the  army. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I7th,  the  whole  force 
moved  off  in  the  direction  of  Saltillo,  and  in  less  than 
five  days  having  completed  more  than  one  hundred 
miles  the  Missourians  pitched  their  camp  with  the 
Arkansas  cavalry,  at  Encantada,  near  the  battlefield 
of  Buena  Vista,  where  there  was  an  abundant  sup 
ply  of  cool  and  delightful  water. 


Crosses  by  the  Wayside. 

During  this  march  they  passed  through  a  rug 
ged,  mountainous  country,  almost  entirely  destitute 
of  vegetation,  producing  only  meziquite  chaparral, 
clusters  of  dwarfish  acacia,  Spanish  bayonet,  ma- 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       131 

guey,  and  palmilla.  This  last  often  grows  thirty 
feet  in  height,  and  three  feet  in  diameter,  the  body 
of  which  is  sometimes  used  as  timber  for  the  con 
struction  of  bridges.  On  the  top  of  the  mountain 
peaks,  and  sometimes  by  the  way  side,  might  be  seen 
the  cross,  the  symbol  of  the  national  faith,  an  ob 
ject  of  universal  reverence,  constructed  in  the  rudest 
and  most  primitive  manner,  with  a  small  heap  of 
stones  at  its  foot,  and  fancifully  and  reverentially 
entwined  with  festoons  of  wild  flowers.  This 
march  passed  by  the  Haciendas  Ybarro,  Cienega 
Grande,  Castanuella,  the  princely  Hacienda  de  Pa- 
tos,  and  the  ruins  of  San  Juan,  where  there  was 
much  water.  This  last  place  had  been  destroyed 
by  the  Americans. 


A  Complimentary  Order. 

On  the  22nd  of  May,  the  regiment  was  received 
by  Gen.  Wool  in  person,  accompanied  by  his  staff, 
and  the  following  complimentary  order  made,  viz : 
Headquarters,   Buena  Vista, 
May  22nd,  1847. 

The  general  commanding  takes  great  pleasure 
in  expressing  the  gratification  he  has  received  this 
afternoon  in  meeting  the  Missouri  volunteers. 
They  are  about  to  close  their  present  term  of  mili 
tary  service,  after  having  rendered,  in  the  course  of 
the  arduous  duties  they  have  been  called  upon  to 
perform,  a  series  of  highly  important  services, 
crowned  by  decisive  and  glorious  victories. 

No  troops  can  point  to  a  more  brilliant  career 
than  those  commanded  by  Colonel  Doniphan;  and 
no  one  will  ever  hear  of  the  battle  of  Brazito  or 
Sacramento,  without  a  feeling  of  admiration  for  the 
men  who  gained  them. 

The  State  of  Missouri  has  just  cause  to  be 
proud  of  the  achievements  of  the  men  who  have  re- 


132      INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

presented  her  in  the  army  against  Mexico,  and  she 
will  without  doubt,  receive  them  on  their  return 
with  all  the  joy  and  satisfaction  to  which  a  due  ap 
preciation  of  their  merits  and  services  so  justly  en 
titles  them. 

In  bidding  them  adieu,  the  general  wishes  to 
Col.  Doniphan,  his  officers  and  men,  a  happy  return 
to  their  families. 

By  command  of  Brig.  Gen.  Wool : 

Irwin  McDowell,  A.  A.  A.  Gen. 


On  the  23rd  the  Missourians  marched  to  Gen. 
Wool's  camp,  where  Capt.  Weightman  delivered  up 
his  battery  to  Capt.  Washington.  The  Mexican 
cannon  wrhich  were  captured  in  the  action  of  Sac 
ramento,  they  were  permitted  to  retain  as  trophies  of 
their  victory.  These  were  subsequently  presented 
by  Col.  Doniphan  to  the  State  of  Missouri,  to  be  evi 
dences  through  all  time  to  come,  of  the  valor,  chiv 
alry  and  good  conduct  of  the  troops  under  his 
command. 

The  Missouri  column,  now  passing  Saltillo, 
the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Rinconada,  Santa  Catarina 
and  the  city  of  Monterey,  arrived  at  the  American 
camp  at  the  Walnut  Springs,  on  the  26th,  having 
in  three  days  performed  a  march  of  seventy  miles, 
during  which  two  brave  soldiers,  Smith  and  Smart, 
died,  and  was  buried  with  becoming  military  hon 
ors.  Major-general  Taylor,  having  reviewed  the 
Missouri  troops  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  issued 
the  following  order : 


Orders  From  Major-general  Taylor. 

Headquarters  of  Army  of  Occupation. 
Camp  near  Monterey,  May  27,  1847. 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.       133 

Col.  Doniphan's  command  of  Missouri  volun 
teers  will  proceed  via  Camargo,  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  or  Brazos  island,  where  it  will  take  water 
transportation  to  New  Orleans. 

On  reaching  New  Orleans,  Col.  Doniphan  will 
report  to  Gen.  Brooke,  commanding  the  Western 
Division,  and  also  to  Col.  Churchill,  inspector  gen 
eral,  who  will  muster  the  command  for  discharge 
and  payment. 

At  Camergo  Col.  Doniphan  will  detatch  a  suf 
ficient  number  of  men  from  each  company  to  con 
duct  the  horses  and  other  animals  of  the  command 
by  land  to  Missouri.  The  men  so  detatched  will 
leave  necessary  papers  to  enable  their  pay  to  be 
drawn  when  their  companions  are  discharged  at 
New  Orleans. 

The  Quartermaster  Department  will  furnish 
the  necessary  transportation  to  carry  out  the  above 
orders. 

The  trophies  captured  at  the  battle  of  Sacra 
mento,  will  be  conveyed  by  Col.  Doniphan  to  Miss 
ouri,  and  there  turned  over  to  the  Governor,  sub 
ject  to  the  final  disposition  of  the  War  Department. 

In  thus  announcing  the  arrangements  which 
close  the  arduous  and  honorable  service  of  the  Mis 
souri  volunteers,  the  commanding  general  extends  to 
them  his  earnest  wishes  for  their  prosperity  and 
happiness,  and  for  a  safe  return  to  their  families 
and  homes. 

By  command  of  Major-general  Taylor: 

W.  W.  Bliss,  A.  A.  A.  G. 


When  Gen.  Taylor  received  authentic  informa 
tion  of  the  fall  of  Vera  Cruz,  the  capitulation  of 
the  castle  of  San  Juand'  Ullua,  and  the  capture  of 
Chihuahua,  he  published  the  following  order  to  tfte 
troops  under  his  command : 


134      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Headquarters,  Army  of  Occupation. 
Camp  near  Monterey,  April  I4th,  1847. 

The  commanding  general  has  the  satisfaction 
to  announce  to  the  troops,  that  authentic  in 
formation  has  been  received  of  the  fall  of  Vera 
Cruz,  and  of  San  Juan  de  Ullua,  which  capitulated 
on  the  27th  of  March  to  the  forces  of  Major-general 
Scott.  This  highly  important  victory  reflects  new 
lustre  on  the  reputation  of  our  arms. 

The  commanding  general  would  at  the  same 
time,  announce  another  signal  success,  won  by  the 
gallantry  of  our  troops  on  the  28th  of  February, 
near  the  city  of  Chihuahua.  A  column  of  Missouri 
volunteers,  less  than  one  thousand  strong,  under 
the  command  of  Col.  Doniphan*  with  a  light  field 
battery,  attacked  a  Mexican  force  many  times 
superior,  in  an  intrenched  position,  captured  its  artil 
lery  and  baggage,  and  defeated  it  with  heavy  loss. 

In  publishing  to  the  troops  the  grateful  tidings, 
the  general  is  sure  that  they  will  learn,  with  joy 
and  pride,  the  triumphs  of  their  comrades  on  distant 
fields. 

By   order   of   Major-general   Taylor: 

W.  W.  Bliss,  A.  A.  A  G. 


INCIDENTS  OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.       135 


Departure  for  New  Orleans. 


Having  left  our  sick  men  at  Monterey,  after 
a  hasty  march  of  thirty  miles  on  the  26th  of  May, 
during  which  we  passed  the  rivers  Agua  Fria,  and 
Salinas  de  Parras,  we  encamped  in  the  small  town, 
Marin,  where  there  was  but  little  forage,  and  not  the 
semblance  of  either  green  or  dry  grass.  The  next 
day,  passing  through  a  country  covered  almost  im 
pervious  mezquite  chapparral,  and  over  the  ground 
Gen.  Urea's  band  captured  Gen.  Taylor's  provision 
train,  and  barbarously  and  inhumanly  murdered  the 
unarmed  teamsters,  whose  skeletons  and  half  de 
voured  frames  still  lay  scattered  promiscuously 
along  the  road,  over  which  vultures*  dogs  and 
wolves,  were  yet  holding  carnival,  and  having  pro 
gressed  thirty-five  miles,  we  encamped  at  a  fine, 
bold  running  spring,  not  far  from  Cerralvo. 


Guerrilla  Chief  Executed. 

The  next  day  advancing  about  seven  miles,  to 
Cerralvo,  we  halted  to  take  some  refreshments. 
Here  we  witnessed  the  execution,  by  the  Texan 


136      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAE. 

Rangers,  of  a  Mexican  guerrilla  chief,  one  of  Urea's 
men,  who  had  been  captured  the  previous  night. 
His  captors  promised  to  spare  his  life  upon  condi 
tion  that  he  would  reveal  to  them,  where  his  com 
rades  might  be  found.  He  refused  to  betray  them, 
averring  that  he  had  killed  many  Americans,  and  he 
would  kill  many  more  if  it  were  in  his  power.  He 
added : — "My  life  is  in  the  hands  of  my  enemies ; 
I  am  prepared  to  yield  it  up:  only  I  ask  not  to  be 
tied,  and  that  I  may  be  allowed  to  face  my  execu 
tioners."  Having  lighted  his  cigarrito,  with  the 
utmost  nonchalance  he  faced  his  executioners,  (a 
file  of  six  Texan  Rangers,)  who  were  detailed  for 
the  purpose.  They  were  ordered  to  fire.  Five 
balls  penetrated  the  skull  of  the  guerrilla  chief. 
He  instantly  expired. 

On  the  3Oth  we  encamped  in  Mien  situated  on 
the  small  river  Alcantro,  and  famous  for  having 
been  the  place  where  the  Texans  capitulated  to  Gen. 
Ampudia.  The  next  day  we  reached  Camargo,  on 
the  San  Juan,  where  we  obtained  an  abundant  sup 
ply  of  provisions,  for  this  place  had  been  converted 
into  a  government  depot.  This  river  admits  of 
steamboat  navigation.  While  here  one  of  our  com 
panions,  Tharp,  who  had  performed  much  hard  ser 
vice,  died  of  sickness.  He  was  buried  with  the 
honor  due  a  brave  soldier. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  Major  Gilpin,  with  a 
small  detachment  of  men  started  in  advance  of  the 
column,  with  the  intention  of  proceeding  to  Rey- 
nosa,  to  engage  transportation  for  the  army,  by 
steamboats,  thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande. 
After  proceeding  a  few  miles,  one  of  his  party,  Ser 
geant  Swain,  a  good  soldier,  having  imprudently 
straggled  on  ahead,  by  himself,  was  shot  by  Mexi 
cans  lurking  in  the  chaparral.  To  avenge  his  death 
the  party  charged  as  soon  as  practicable,  upon  the 
Mexicans*  who  were  adroitly  making  their  escape, 


INCIDENTS   CF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.      137 

and  killed  one  of  them.  Four  others  were  a  short 
time  afterwards,  captured  by  Capt.  Walton,  with 
a  small  detatchment  of  men,  at  a  neighboring  ran- 
cho,  and  carried  to  camp  at  Upper  Reynosa,  at 
which  place  we  found  Col.  Webb,  of  the  i6th  regi 
ment  U.  S.  army.  The  prisoners  were  delivered 
over  to  him;  but  finding  no  positive  evidence  that 
they  were  the  same,  who  had  committed  the  bloody 
deed,  although  one  of  them  had  blood  on  his  clothes, 
they  were  discharged,  and  conducted  out  of  camp  by 
a  guard.  But  the  company  to  whom  Swain  belong 
ed,  were  so  much  enraged  that,  as  it  is  said,  they 
went  out  from  camp,  and  killed  part  of  them  as  soon 
as  dismissed  by  the  guards.  Of  the  truth  of  this, 
we  are  not  certainly  informed :  for  those  who  knew, 
would  not  divulge  the  truth,  lest  they  should  be 
censured  by  those  in  command ;  but  the  fire  of  their 
guns  was  distinctly  heard. 


The  March  Continued. 

After  resting  a  few  hours  and  burying  the  dead 
the  march  was  continued  down  the  river,  through 
the  chaparral  all  day,  and  all  the  following  night. 
At  sunrise  the  advance  of  the  column  arrived  at 
Reynosa,  where  we  were  greeted  by  the  sight  of 
steam  vessels  ready  to  transport  us  to  the  Gulf. 

Col.  Doniphan,  now  taking  the  sick  men  on 
board  the  first  transport  that  could  be  obtained, 
proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  to  engage  ship 
ping,  as  early  as  practicable,  for  New  Orleans,  leav 
ing  Lieutenant-colonel  Jackson,  Major  Gilpin,  and 
Major  Clark  to  provides  means  of  transporting 
their  respective  battalions  down  the  river.  Certain 
of  the  soldiers,  impatient  of  delay,  and  anxious  to 
get  home,  censured  Col.  Doniphan  for  leaving  them 
at  Reynosa,  without  providing  them  with  immediate 


138      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

transportation,  but  they  did  not  consider  how  im 
portant  it  was  that  he  should  go  in  advance  to  Bra 
zos  Island,  and  have  ships  ready,  engaged  to  convey 
them  without  delay  to  New  Orleans.  Without 
such  precaution  on  the  part  of  the  commander,  the 
whole  column  might  have  been  obliged  to  lie  many 
days  on  the  beach,  waiting  for  vessels  in  which  to 
cross  the  Gulf.  This,  therefore,  eventuated  most 
opportunely,  for  ships  were  made  ready  in  the  har 
bor  before  the  men  arrived  at  the  Brazos. 

Meanwhile  the  troops  at  Reynosa  were  obliged 
to  lie  one  or  two  days  on  the  river  banks  in  a  com 
fortless  and  miserable  plight,  (for  it  rained  inces 
santly,  and  the  men  had  no  place  to  lie,  nor  tents  to 
shelter  them,  but  stood  as  cattle  in  the  mud  both  day 
and  night,)  before  they  could  procure  transports. 


Saddles  and  Rigging  Burned. 

On  the  4th  and  5th,  the  men  having  burned 
their  saddles,  and  other  horse  rigging,  and  sent  their 
animals  by  land  to  Missouri,  went  aboard  steam  ves 
sels,  and  on  the  7th  the  whole  force  arrived  safely 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  they  disembarked, 
and  bivouacked  on  the  margin  of  the  stream  until 
the  morning  of  the  Qth,  the  intermediate  time  being 
spent  by  the  soldiers  in  bathing  in  the  river  and 
Gulf. 

Lieutenant  James  Lee,  quartermaster,  proceed 
ed  with  his  trains  from  Reynosa  to  Matamoras,  and 
turned  over  to  the  quartermaster  at  that  place  all 
his  wagons,  mules,  and  commissary  stores. 

Gen.  Taylor's  order  requiring  a  sufficient  number 
of  men  to  be  detailed  at  Camargo  for  the  purpose  of 
conducting  "the  horses  and  other  animals  of  the 
company  by  land  to  Missouri,"  was  not  complied 
with;  for  the  volunteers  did  not  choose  to  obey  the 


INCIDENTS  OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.      139 

order,  regarding  the  stock  of  but  little  value. 
However,  Sergeant  Van  Bibber,  and  about  thirty- 
five  other  men,  voluntarily  agreed  to  drive  the 
stock,  (of  such  of  such  as  would  allow  them  a  com 
pensation  for  their  pains)  through  Texas  to  Mis 
souri,  and  deliver  them  in  the  county  where  the 
owner  resided.  Accordingly  this  party,  with  about 
seven  hundred  head  of  stock,  leaving  Reynosa  on 
the  fourth,  proceeded  to  Camargo,  and  thence  in 
to  the  United  States,  arriving  in  Missouri*  with  the 
loss  of  nearly  half  the  animals,  about  the  I5th  of 
August. 


The  Army  Embarks. 

On  the  Qth  we  walked  over  to  the  harbor  at 
the  north  end  of  Brazos  Island,  whence  we  were 
to  take  shipping  for  New  Orleans,  and  on  the  fol 
lowing  day  the  artillery  and  about  two  hundred  men, 
embarked  on  the  schooner  Murillo,  and  Col.  Doni- 
phan  with  seven  hundred  men  embarked  on  the 
stately  sail-ship  Republic,  and  under  a  favoring 
gale  arrived  safely  in  New  Orleans  on  the  I5th, 
having  in  twelve  months,  performed  a  grand  detour 
through  the  Mexican  Republic,  of  near  four  thous 
and  miles,  by  land  and  water. 

This  most  extraordinary  march,  conducted  by 
Col.  Doniphan,  the  Xenophon  of  the  age,  with  great 
good  fortune,  meets  not  with  a  parallel  in  the  annals 
of  the  world. 

Our  passage  across  the  Gulf  was  speedy  and 
prosperous.  One  of  our  number  only  was  commit 
ted  to  a  watery  grave.  This  was  Christopher 
Smith,  than  whom  none  was  a  better  soldier. 
Ridge,  also  a  brave  soldier,  died,  and  was  conveyed 
to  New  Orleans  for  interment. 

We  had  now  been  in  the  service  twelve  months* 


140      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

had  traversed  the  plains  and  solitudes  of  the  west, 
had  waded  through  the  snow  in  the  mountains  of 
New  Mexico,  had  traveled  over  the  great  deserts  of 
Chihuahua,  Durango,  Coahuila,  Nueva  Leon,  and 
Tamaulipas,  half-naked,  and  poorly  supplied  with 
provisions,  and  were  weary  of  camp  service,  and 
packing  up  baggage.  Therefore  we  were  anxious 
to  return  to  our  homes  and  our  families.  When 
the  men  came  within  sight  of  Balize — when  they 
could  but  just  discover,  through  the  mist,  low  in  the 
horizon,  the  distant,  green,  looming  shores  of  their 
native  country,  they  shouted  aloud  in  the  pride  of 
their  hearts,  and,  Columbus-like,  gave  thanks  to  the 
beneficient  Author  of  all  good,  not  only  for  the 
prosperous  voyage  over  the  gulf>  but  the  unparallel 
ed  success  of  the  great  expedition. 


Welcome  Extended. 

The  chivalry  of  the  south  is  unsurpassed;  the 
generosity  of  the  southern  people  unequaled.  Their 
feelings  are  alive  to  every  noble  and  magnanimous 
impulse  Their  breasts  are  swayed  by  sentiments  of 
true  honor.  Who  will  deny  that  the  population  of 
the  Crescent  city  inspires  patriotism  from  very 
proximity  to  the  field  immortalized  by  Jackson's 
victory?  New  Orleans  for  months  previous  to  the 
arrival  of  Col.  Doniphan,  had  been  wound  up  to 
the  highest  degree  of  military  excitement,  and  had, 
in  truth,  been  the  great  thoroughfare  for  the  de 
parture  and  return  of  perhaps  more  than  ten  thous 
and  volunteers  destined  for  the  war,  and  returning 
from  their  various  fields  of  glory ;  yet,  the  Missouri- 
ans,  rough  clad,  were  received  with  unabated  en 
thusiasm,  and  a  cordiality  for  which  they  ever 
gratefully  remembered  their  friends  of  the  south. 
As  they  passed  up  the  Mississippi,  the  streaming  of 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR.      141 

flags  from  the  top  of  the  houses,  and  the  waving  of 
white  handkerchiefs  by  the  ladies,  as  a  token  of 
approval,  from  the  windows  and  balconies  of  the 
stately  mansions  which  everywhere  beautified  the 
green  banks  of  the  "Inland  Sea,"  announced  to  them 
that  their  return  was  hailed  with  universal  joy; 
that  their  arduous  services  were  duly  appreciated; 
and  that  Louisianians  are  not  only  generous  and 
brave,  but  nobly  patriotic.  Such  a  reception  was 
worth  the  toil  of  a  hundred  battlefields. 

Isolated  from  every  other  branch  of  the  army, 
barred  by  intervening  deserts  from  all  communica 
tions  with  the  government,  thrown  entirely  upon  its 
own  resources,  compelled  to  draw  supplies  from  a 
hostile  country,  and  in  the  absence  of  instructions 
or  succors,  Colonel  Doniphan's  command  was  left 
to  cut  its  way  through  the  country  of  a  subtle  and 
treacherous  enemy.  Destitute  of  clothing*  and  the 
means  of  procuring  it — not  having  received  a  dime 
since  the  day  of  enlistment,  and  none  then,  save 
forty-two  dollars  commutation  for  clothing — the 
men  almost  grew  as  did  Nebuchadnezzar,  being  in 
deed  rough  samples  of  Rocky  Mountain  life.  Their 
long  grown  beards  flowed  in  the  wind  similar  to 
those  of  the  rude  Cossacks  of  Northern  Europe, 
while  their  garments  were  worn  to  shreds,  bivouack 
ing  on  the  rocks  and  sands  of  Mexico.  Their  dis 
hevelled  hair,  their  long  grown  whiskers,  their  buck 
skin  apparel,  their  stern  and  uncouth  appearance, 
their  determined  and  resolved  looks,  and  their  car- 
less  and  nochalant  air,  attracted  the  gaze,  and  won 
the  admiration  of  all  people.  Though  they  were 
somewhat  undisciplined,  yet  they  were  hardy,  un 
shrinking,  resolute,  independent,  chivalrous,  hon 
orable  and  intelligent  men,  such  as,  indeed*  "would 
not  flatter  Neptune  for  his  trident,  nor  Jove  for  his 
power  to  thunder." 


142      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


Discharge  of  the  Troops. 


We  have  hitherto  considered  in  what  manner 
the  troops  under  Col.  Doniphan  were  conducted  over 
the  great  solitudes  to  Santa  Fe;  how  they  traversed 
the  snow-capped  mountains  in  pursuit  of  the  fearless 
Navajos;  how  Gen.  Kearney  with  a  small  force, 
crossed  the  continent,  and  held  California  in  quiet 
possession;  how  Col.  Price  succeeded  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  troops  in  New  Mexico ;  how  Col.  Doni 
phan  invaded  and  conquered  the  states  of  Chihua 
hua  and  Durango ;  thence  traversing  extensive  des 
erts,  treeless,  barren  and  waterless ;  oftentimes  sub 
sisting  his  army  on  half-rations  and  less ;  and  how, 
after  infinite  suffering  and  toil,  he  arrived  at  the 
Gulf,  and  sailed  for  New  Orleans. 

The  Missourians  were  now  permitted  to  turn 
over  to  the  ordnance  master,  at  New  Orleans,  the 
arms  they  had  used  on  the  expedition,  and  with 
which  they  had  achieved  signal  victories.  They 
were  forthwith  mustered  for  discharge  and  payment 
by  Col.  Churchill,  which  process  was  completed 
between  the  22nd  and  the  28th  of  June.  Having 
received  payment,  and  an  honorable  discharge  from 
the  service,  they  departed  to  their  respective  homes 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.       143 

in  detached  parties,  each  one  now  traveling  accord 
ing  to  his  own  convenience,  and  being  no  longer 
subject  to  command.  They  generally  arrived  in 
Missouri  about  the  1st  of  July,  having  been  absent 
thirteen  months. 


St.  Louis  Accords  Hearty  Welcome. 

Anticipating  the  arrival  of  the  returning  vol 
unteers,  the  generous  citizens  of  St.  Louis  had  made 
ample  preparations  to  give  them  a  hearty,  welcome, 
cordial  reception  and  testify  to  them  the  esteem  in 
which  their  services  were  held  by  their  fellow  citi 
zens.  But  as  the  volunteer  soldiers,  who  were  now 
become  citizens,  returned  in  detached  parties,  and 
were  very  anxious  to  visit  their  friends  and  families, 
from  whom  they  had  so  long  been  separated,  they 
could  not  all  be  induced  to  remain  and  partake  of 
the  proffered  hospitality.  However,  the  company 
under  Captain  Hudson,  having  in  charge  the  cap 
tured  Mexican  cannon,  and  near  three  hundred  offi 
cers  and  privates  of  different  companies  being  in 
the  city  on  the  2nd  of  July,  it  was  agreed  that  the 
formalities  of  the  reception  should  be  gone  through 
with.  Accordingly  the  various  military  and  fire 
companies,  of  the  city,  were  paraded  in  full  uniform ; 
the  people  collected  in  great  crowds ;  the  Mexican 
cannon,  the  trophies  of  victory,  were  dragged  along 
the  streets,  crowned  with  garlands :  and  an  immense 
procession  was  formed,  conducted  by  T.  Grimsley, 
chief  marshal,  which,  after  a  brief  animating  speech, 
from  the  honorable  J.  B.  Bowlin,  and  a  still  briefer 
response  from  Lieutenant-colonel  Mitchell*  pro 
ceeded  to  Camp  Lucas,  where  the  Hon.  T.  H.  Ben- 
ton  delivered  to  the  returned  volunteers,  and  a  con 
course  of  more  than  seven  thousand  people,  a  most 
thrilling  and  eloquent  address,  recounting,  with  as- 


144      INCIDENTS  OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

tonishing  accuracy,  and  extraordinary  minuteness, 
the  events  of  the  great  campaign. 

When  the  honorable  Senator  concluded,  Col. 
Doniphan  was  loudly  and  enthusiastically  called  to 
the  stand;  whereupon  he  rose  and  responded  in  a 
very  chaste,  and  modest,  yet  graphic  address,  in 
which  he  ascribed  the  great  success  and  good  for 
tune,  which  continually  attended  him  on  his  expe 
dition,  rather  to  the  bravery  and  conduct  of  his 
soldiers,  than  to  his  own  generalship. 


The  Army  is  Honored. 

For  months  succeeding  the  return  to  the  State, 
of  the  Missouri  volunteers,  sumptuous  dinners,  ban 
quets,  and  balls,  tables  loaded  with  delicate  viands, 
and  the  richest  wines*  were  everywhere  spread  to 
do  them  honor,  as  thereby  to  compensate,  in  some 
measure,  for  past  hardships,  and  the  immensity  of 
toil  and  peril,  which  they  had  experienced  in  climb 
ing  over  rugged,  snow-capped  mountains;  in  con 
tending  with  the  overwhelming  forces  of  the  enemy ; 
in  enduring  bitter  cold,  pinching  hunger,  burning 
thirst,  incredible  fatigue,  and  sleepless  nights  of 
watching,  and  in  bivouacking  upon  the  waterless, 
arid  deserts  of  Mexico.  But  their  past  dangers, 
both  from  the  foe  and  the  elements,  were  now  soon 
forgotten,  amidst  the  kind  caresses  of  friends,  and 
the  cordial  reception  which  their  fellow  citizens  con 
tinually  greeted  them.  The  maxim  which  has  de 
scended  from  former  ages  and  which  has  met  the 
sanction  of  all  nations,  that  the  Republics  are  un 
grateful,  had  not  in  this  instance  proved  true;  for 
there  was  then  a  campaign  of  feasting  and  honors. 
On  the  29th  of  July  a  public  dinner  was  given 
by  the  citizens  of  Independence,  Mo.,  in  honor  of 
Col.  Doniphan*  his  officers  and  men,  on  which  oc- 


INCIDENTS    OF   'iHE   MEXICAN   WAR.       145 

casion  the  ladies  being  anxious  to  testify  their  res 
pect  to  the  hero  of  Sacramento,  and  those  who  fol 
lowed  where  he  dared  to  lead,  had  prepared  the 
"Laurel  Wreath,"  in  all  ages  the  gift  of  beauty  to 
valor  for  the  victor's  brow.  After  the  welcoming 
speech,  by  S.  H.  Woodson,  and  a  chaste  and  thrill 
ing  response  by  Col.  Doniphan,  Mrs.  Buchanan  on 
behalf  of  the  ladies,  delivered  from  the  stand,  in  the 
presence  of  five  thousand  people,  the  subjoined 
eloquent  address. 


Mrs.  Buchanans  Eloquent  Address. 

"Respected  Friends : — Long  had  the  world 
echoed  to  the  voice  of  fame,  when  her  brazen  trum 
pet  spoke  of  the  glories  of  Greece  and  Rome.  The 
sun  looked  proudly  down  upon  Thermopylae,  when 
Leonidas  had  won  a  name  bright  and  glorious  as 
his  own  golden  beams.  The  soft  air  of  the  Italian 
clime  glowed,  as  the  splendor  of  a  Roman  triumph 
flashed  through  the  eternal  city.  But  the  mantle  of 
desolation  now  wraps  the  mouldering  pillars  of 
Athens  and  of  Rome,  and  fame,  deserting  her 
ancient  haunts,  now  fills  our  own  fair  land  with  the 
matchless  deeds  of  her  heoric  sons.  Like  the  dia 
mond  in  the  recesses  of  the  mine,  lay  for  centuries 
the  land  of  Columbia.  Like  that  diamond  when 
art's  transforming  fingers  have  polished  its  peerless 
lustre,  it  now  shines  the  most  resplendent  gem  in 
the  coronal  of  nations. 

"The  records  of  the  Revolution,  that  dazzling 
picture  in  the  Temple  of  History,  presents  us  with 
the  astonishing  sight  of  men  whose  feet  had  never 
trodden  the  strict  paths  of  military  discipline,  de- 
fyingj  conquering  the  trained  ranks  of  the  British 
army,  whose  trade  is  war.  Nor  did  their  patrio 
tism,  their  energy,  die  with  the  Fathers  of  the  Re 
volution — their  spirit  lives  in  their  sons. 


146      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR 

"The  star  which  represents  Missouri,  shone, 
not  on  the  banner  which  shadowed  the  venerated 
head  of  Washington.  But  the  unrivaled  deeds  of 
the  Missouri  Volunteers  have  added  such  brilliancy 
to  its  beams,  that  even  he  whose  hand  laid  the  cor 
ner-stone  of  the  temple  of  American  liberty,  and 
placed  on  its  finished  shrines  the  rescued  flag  of 
liis  country,  would  feel  proud  to  give  the  star  of 
Missouri  a  place  amidst  the  time-honored,  far-fam 
ed  "old  thirteen."  The  Spartan,  the  Athenians, 
the  Roman,  who  offered  on  the  alter  of  Mars  the 
most  brilliant  sacrifices,  were  trained  even  from 
their  infancy,  in  all  the  arts  of  war.  The  service  of 
the  bloody  god  was  to  them  the  business  of  life,  aye, 
even  its  pastime;  their  very  dreams  were  full  of 
the  tumult  of  battle :  but  they  who  hewed  asunder, 
with  their  good  swords,  the  chains  of  a  British 
tyrant,  and  they  who  have  rendered  the  names  of 
Brazito  and  Sacramento  watchwords  to  arouse  the 
valor  of  succeeding  ages,  hurried  from  the  quiet 
labors  of  the  field,  the  peaceful  halls  of  justice,  the 
cell  of  the  student,  and  the  familiar  hearth  of  home, 
to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  defenders  of  their  native 
land. 

"Volunteers  of  Missouri : — In  the  history  of 
your  country,  no  fairer  page  can  be  found  than  that 
which  records  your  own  heroic  achievements. 
Many  of  you  have  never  welcomed  the  morning 
light  without  the  sunshine  of  your  mother's  smile 
to  make  it  brighter:  many  of  you  had  known  the 
hardship  of  life  only  in  name;  still  you  left  the 
home  of  your  childhood,  and  encountered  perils  and 
sufferings  that  would  make  the  cheek  of  a  Roman 
soldier  turn  pale;  and  encountered  them  so  gallant 
ly  that  Time  in  his  vast  calendar  of  centuries  can 
show  none  more  bravely,  more  freely  born. 

"We  welcome  you  back  to  your  home.  The 
triumph  which  hailed  the  return  of  the  Caesars,  to 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR.      147 

whose  war-chariot  was  chained  the  known  world, 
is  not  ours  to  give,  nor  do  you  need  it.  A  prouder 
triumph  than  Rome  could  bestow  is  yours,  in  the 
undying  fame  of  your  proud  achievements.  But 
if  the  welcome  of  hearts  filled  with  warm  love  and 
well  merited  admiration,  hearts  best  known  and 
longest  tried,  be  a  triumph,  it  is  yours  in  the  fullest 
extent. 

"The  torrent  of  eloquence  to  which  you  have 
just  listened,  the  rich  feast  that  awaits  you,  are  the 
tributes  of  your  own  sex ;  but  we,  the  fairer  part  of 
creation,  must  offer  ours  also. 

"Col.  Doniphan : — In  the  name  of  the  ladies 
who  surround  me,  I  bestow  on  you  this  laurel 
wreath — in  every  age  and  every  clime,  the  gift  of 
beauty  to  valor.  In  placing  it  on  the  brow  of  him 
who  now  kneels  to  receive  it,  I  place  it  on  the  brow 
of  all,  who  followed  where  so  brave,  so  dauntless 
a  commander  led.  It  is  true  that  around  the  laurel 
wreath  is  twined  every  association  of  genius*  glory 
and  valor,  but  I  feel  assured  that  it  was  never 
placed  on  a  brow  more  worthy  to  receive  it  than  his 
on  which  it  now  rests — The  hero  of  Sacramento." 


The  Author's  Eulogy. 

It  does  not  become  the  author  to  extol  in  unmea 
sured  terms  the  gallant  officers  who  led  with  such 
marvelous  success,  nor  the  brave  men  who  bore 
with  Roman  fortitude  and  patience,  the  fatigues  of 
Western  Expedition,  beyond  that  which  every  can 
did  and  generous  mind  will  readily  concede. 
Equally  the  conduct  of  both  is  worthy  of  encomium. 
They  performed  all,  and  more  than  all,  the  govern 
ment  expected  at  their  hands.  After  the  conquest 
of  New  Mexico,  Gen.  Kearney,  with  one  hundred 
men,  completed  an  astonishing  overland  expedition 


148       INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  one  thousand  and  nine 
ty  miles  distant  from  Santa  Fe.  This  great  march 
was  conducted  over  stony  mountains,  barren  plains, 
and  inhospitable  deserts. 

Col.  Doniphan  and  his  men  scaled  the  granite 
heights  of  the  Cordilleras,  amidst  fathoms  of  ac 
cumulated,  eternal  'snows,  in  the  depth  of  winter, 
when  the  wide  waste  of  rocks,  and  horrid  driving 
snow-storms,  were  their  most  relentless  enemies. 
Having  spent  three  months  and  performed  a  cam 
paign  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  the  most 
rugged  and  inhospitable  regions  on  the  continent, 
they  returned  to  the  valley  of  the  Del  Norte.  Here 
they  refreshed  themselves  and  recruited  two  days  : 
after  which  they  commenced  the  grand  march  upon 
Chihuahua,  and  gained  immortal  renown  on  the  tro- 
phied  fields  of  Brazito  and  Sacramento.  The  capi 
tal  and  the  State*  with  two  hundred  thousand  inhabi 
tants,  become  the  conquest  to  less  than  a  thousand 
Missourians.  This  march  was  near  six  hundred 
miles  through  barren  and  waterless  regions.  ' 

The  nation  almost  trembled  for  the  safety  of 
Gen.  Wool's  column,  thirty-five  hundred  strong, 
with  heavy  artillery,  when  he  set  out  from  San 
Antonio  on  his  intended  expedition  against  Chihua 
hua.  Many  apprehended  his  complete  overthrow, 
and  argued  that  it  would  result  in  a  prodigal  waste 
of  means  and  a  useless  and  wanton  sacrifice  of  hu 
man  life,  for  so  small  a  force  to  march  against  so 
powerful  and  populous  a  State.  But  the  stronghold 
of  Central  Mexico  was  in  possession  of  the  hero  of 
Sacramento,  with  nine  hundred  and  twenty-four 
Missiourians,  and  the  American  flag  floated  in 
triumph  over  its  walls. 

Leaving  Chihuahua  for  more  extended  opera 
tions,  and  a  new  theatre  of  action,  they  move  off 
through  the  states  of  Durango  and  Coahuila,  tra 
versing  parched,  arid,  waterless  wastes,  for  more 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      149 

than  six  hundred  miles,  ready  to  succor  Gen.  Tay 
lor,  if  beleagured  in  Saltillo,  or  to  accompany  him 
over  the  Central  Desert  in  his  contemplated  descent 
upon  San  Louis  de  Potosi,  having  previously  sent 
fourteen  express-men  on  a  most  perilous  enterprise 
to  learn  the  General's  wishes. 

Their  services  being  now  no  longer  required, 
the  commander-in-  chief  dispatches  them  to  the 
United  States,  by  the  way  of  Matamoras  and  the 
Mexica  Gulf.  They  sailed  for  New  Orleans*  where 
they  were  discharged;  they  returned  to  Missouri 
from  the  eastward,  graced  with  the  trophies  of  the 
vanquished  foe,  having  in  twelve  months  performed 
a  magnificent  circuit  of  more  than  3,500  miles,  and 
2,500  by  water,  with  the  loss  of  less  than  one  hun 
dred  of  their  original  number. 

The  expedition  of  Cyrus  against  his  brother, 
Artaxerxes,  and  the  retreat  of  the  ten  thousand 
Greeks,  famous  through  all  time,  conducted  by 
Xenophon  and  Cherisopus,  forms  the  only  parallel 
to  Co.  Doniphan's  expedition,  recordered  in  history. 
In  fifteen  months  Cyrus  and  Xenophon  conducted 
this  expedition  about  3,450  English  miles,  with  the 
loss  of  several  thousand  brave  men,  and  finally  re 
turned  to  Greece,  possessing  nothing  save  their  lives 
and  their  arms.  In  thirteen  months  Col.  Doniphan 
and  his  Missourians,  accomplished  a  similar  expedi 
tion*  (except  to  its  objects)  of  more  than  5,500 
miles,  returning  decorated  with  the  spoils  of  war, 
and  meeting  with  the  hearty  approval  of  their 
countrymen. 

The  distance  over  which  Gen.  Kearney  marched 
was  perhaps  greater  than  that  over  which  Col.  Doni 
phan  passed;  but  the  former  only  conducted  an 
army  to  California,  returning  privately;  while  the 
latter  commanded,  and  provided  for  his  men,  and 
that  too  without  funds,  until  they  were  disbanded 
at  New  Orleans. 


150       INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

Thus  terminated  the  most  extraordinary  and 
wonderful  Expedition  of  the  age,  attended  through 
out  by  the  most  singular  good  fortune,  conducted 
under  the  auspices  of  Col.  Doniphan,  who  had  been 
very  justly  styled  the  great  military  pedestrian,  the 
victor  and  diplomatist. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      151 


Events  at  Santa  Fe. 


It  will  be  remembered  that  on  the  26  of  Octo 
ber,  1846,  Col.  Doniphan  took  his  departure  from 
Santa  Fe,  on  an  excursion  against  the  Navajo 
Indians,  and  was  rejoined  at  Santa  Domingo  by 
three  hundred  of  his  own  regiment,  who  had  been 
previously  stationed  at  the  grazing  encampment 
near  San  Miguel,  but  were  now  ordered  to  proceed 
to  the  mountains,  on  a  most  serious  and  trying 
campaign.  Col.  Doniphan  returned  no  more  to 
Santa  Fe. 

The  command  of  the  troops  in  New  Mexico 
thenceforward  developed  on  Colonel,  afterwards 
Brigadier-general  Sterling  Price.  For  the  preser 
vation  of  health  and  activity  among  his  troops 
— which  consisted  of  the  2nd  regiment  under  his 
own  immediate  command,  an  extra  battalion  under 
Lieutenant-colonel  Willock,  a  battalion  of  infantry 
under  Captains  Angney  and  Murphey,  one  company 
of  light  artillery  under  Captain  Fischer,  the  Lac- 
lede  Rangers  under  Lieutenant  Elliot,  two  hundred 
of  the  ist  dragoons  under  Captain  Burgwin,  (Major 
Sumner  having  returned  to  the  United  States  on  the 
1 8th  of  October,)  and  some  additional  artillery  and 


152      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

miscellaneous  troops  under  Lieuts.  Dyer  and  Wilson 
of  the  U.  S.  Army,  making  an  aggregate  of  near 
two  thousand  men — and  also  for  the  preservation 
of  good  order,  quite,  and  entire  submission  on  the 
part  of  the  malcontent  New  Mexicans  and  Pueblo 
Indians,  Col.  Price  at  first  thus  disposed  of  his 
forces : 

Capt.  Burgwin,  with  the  ist  dragoons,  was  sta 
tioned  at  Alburqueque  to  mantain  tranquillity  on 
the  Rio  Aba  jo ;  a  squadron  of  two  hundred  men  un 
der  Major  Edmondson,  was  scouring  about  Cebol- 
leta;  a  small  force  under  Capt.  Hendley  was  order 
ed  to  the  valley  of  the  Mora,  in  view  of  finding  for 
age  for  the  stock,  and  of  preserving  peace  and  sub 
ordination  in  that  quarter,  as  well  as  also  to  check 
the  predatory  incursions  of  the  border  Indians,  who 
were  becoming  quite  troublesome  and  deserving  of 
chastisement;  the  remaining  forces  were  retained 
at  the  capital  as  a  garrison. 


On  the  28th  of  October,  two  days  after  the  de 
parture  of  Col.  Doniphan  from  Santa  Fe,  Colonel 
Price  issued  an  order  requiring  the  troops  under  his 
command  to  appear  on  parade,  for  drill  and  discip 
line,  twice  each  day.  The  officers  were  required  to 
perform  an  extra  drill,  that  they  might  be  better 
qualified  to  instruct  the  men.  This  discipline  was 
rigidly  adhered  to.  Every  one,  the  least  acquainted 
with  military  affairs,  is  aware  how  difficult  a  matter 
it  is  to  preserve  good  order  and  wholesome  discip 
line  in  a  garrison  composed  entirely  of  volunteers. 
The  unrestrained,  independent  life  to  which  the 
citizen  soldier  has  been  accustomed,  unfits  him  for 
garrison  service.  He  becomes  impatient  of  discip 
line,  and  desires  active,  useful,  honorable  employ 
ment.  For  this  reason  regular  troops  are  much 
better  for  garrison  than  volunteers;  but  are  none 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR.       153 
their  superior  in  an  arduous  and  daring  campaign. 


A  Conspiracy  Formed. 

About  the  ist  of  December,  the  most  distin 
guished  of  the  malcontents  began  to  hold  secret 
cabals  and  consulations,  and  to  plot  the  overthrow 
of  the  actual  existing  government.  Oftentimes  the 
conspirators,  like  Catalin  and  his  accomplices  in 
guilt,  would  withdraw  into  some  retired  room  in 
the  capital,  or  on  the  flat  top  of  some  unfrequented 
building,  and  there  at  the  silent  hour  of  midnight 
machinate  a  scheme  for  the  massacre  of  all  tRe 
Americans,  the  establishment  of  a  new  government, 
and  installation  of  new  governors.  The  leaders 
of  this  dark  and  desperate  conspiracy  were  Don 
Thomas  Ortiz,  who  aspired  to  be  governor  of  the 
province;  Don  Diego  Archulette,  who  had  been 
nominated  as  commanding  general;  and  Seniores 
Nicholas  Pino,  Miguel  Pino,  Santiago  Armijo, 
Manuel  Chavez,  Domingo  Baca,  Pablo  Dominguez, 
Juan  Lopez,  and  many  others,  all  men  of  great  and 
restless  ambition  and  expectance  of  office  if  the  con 
spiracy  should  have  a  favorable  issue. 

The  i Qth  of  December,  at  midnight,  was  the 
time  at  first  appointed  for  the  revolt  to  commence, 
which  was  to  be  simultaneous  all  over  the  depart 
ment.  In  the  meantime  each  one  of  the  conspirators 
had  a  particular  part  of  the  state  assigned  him,  to 
the  end  that  they  might  gain  over  the  whole  peo 
ple  of  the  province.  The  profoundest  secrecy  was 
to  be  preserved,  and  the  most  influential  men,  whose 
ambition  induced  them  to  seek  preferment,  were 
alone  to  be  made  acquainted  with  the  plot.  No 
woman  was  to  be  privy  to  these  things,  lest  they 
should  be  divulged. 

Each  having  pledged .  himself  to  the  other  on 
the  cross  that  he  would  be  faithful  and  vigilant 
in  consummating  their  designs,  as  speedily  and  sue- 


154      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR. 

cessful  as  possible,  departed,  some  into  one  place, 
and  some  into  another.  For  his  part,  Thomas  Ortiz 
who  had  been  second  in  command  to  Armijo,  the 
late  governor  went  to  El  Bado,  that  he  might  stir 
up  the  people  there;  Diego  Archulette  hastened  to 
the  valley  of  Taos,  to  make  known  his  plans,  and 
solicit  aid  in  that  quarter;  Domingo  Baca  departed 
to  the  Rio  Abajo  to  excite  the  inhabitants,  and  pro 
cure  assistance  there ;  Pablo  Domingues,  and  Miguel 
Pino,  proceeded  to  the  settlements  on  the  river 
Tesuca,  to  enlist  them  in  the  enterprise. 

For  the  more  certain  success  of  the  revolution, 
the  conspirators  assembled  in  secret  conclave  in  the 
capital,  on  the  night  of  the  I5th  of  December,  to 
consult,  mature  their  plans,  and  arrange  the  method 
of  attack.  Don  Sanchez,  when  apprehended  and 
brought  before  the  tribunal,  testified  that  Don  Diego 
Archulette  commenced  the  discourse : — "I  make  the 
motion  that  there  be  an  act  to  nominate  a  governor 
and  a  commander  general ;  and  I  would  nominate 
Thomas  Ortiz,  for  the  first  office,  and  Diego  Archu 
lette  for  the  second."  This  was  unanimously  car 
ried,  and  the  act  signed  by  every  individual  present. 
After  this  was  concluded,  they  commenced  a  dis 
course  relative  to  the  method  of  surprising  the 
government  at  Santa  Fe,  and  taking  possession  of 
the  place.  They  decided  upon  the  following  plan : 
"On  Saturday  evening,  the  iQth  of  December,  all 
were  to  assemble  with  their  men  at  the  parish 
church.  Having  divided  themselves  into  several 
parties,  they  were  to  sally  forth,  some  to  seize  the 
pieces  of  artillery,  others  to  go  to  the  quarters  of  the 
colonel,  and  others  to  the  palace  of  the  Governor, 
(if  he  should  be  there,)  and  if  not  to  send  an  order 
to  Toas  to  seize  him,  because  he  would  give  the 
most  trouble.  This  act  was  also  agreed  on  by  all. 
the  sound  of  the  church  bell  was  to  be  the  signal  of 
assault  by  the  forces  concealed  in  the  church,  and 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       155 

those  which  Don  Diego  Archulette  should  have 
brought  near  the  city — midnight  was  the  time 
agreed  on,  when  all  were  to  enter  the  "plaza"  at 
the  same  moment,  seize  the  pieces  of  artillery  and 
point  them  into  the  streets.  The  meeting  now  dis 
solved." 

Owing  to  want  of  complete  organization  and 
concert  and  that  the  conspiracy  was  not  yet  fully 
matured,  it  was  concluded  to  suspend  the  attack  for 
a  time,  and  fixed  on  Christmas  eve  night  for  the  as 
sault,  when  the  soldiers  and  garrison  would  be  in 
dulging  in  wine  and  feasting,  and  scattered  about 
throughout  the  city  at  the  fandangos,  not  having 
their  arms  in  their  hands. — All  the  Americans,  with 
out  distinction,  throughout  the  State,  and  such  New 
Mexicans  as  had  favored  the  American  govern 
ment,  and  accepted  office  by  appointment  of  Gen. 
Kearney,  were  to  be  massacred,  or  driven  from  the 
country,  and  the  conspirators  were  to  seize  upon  and 
occupy  the  government.  This  enterprise,  however, 
failed  of  success,  being  detected,  exposed  and 
crushed,  by  the  vigilance  of  Col.  Price,  his  officers 
and  men. 


A  Woman  Betrays  the  Plot. 
The  conspiracy  was  detected  in  the  following 
manner:  a  mulatto  girl,  residing  in  Santa  Fe,  had 
married  one  of  the  conspirators,  and  had  by  degrees 
obtained  a  knowledge  of  their  movements  and  secret 
meetings.  To  prevent  the  effusion  of  blood,  which 
would  inevitably  be  the  result  of  a  revolution,  she 
communicated  to  Col.  Price,  all  the  facts  of  which 
she  was  in  possession,  and  warned  him  to  use  the 
utmost  vigilance.  The  rebellion  was  immediately 
suppressed. 


But  the  restless  and  unsatisfied  ambition  of  the 
leaders  of  the  conspiracy,  did  not  long  permit  them 


150      INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN    WAR 

to  remain  inactive.  The  rebellion  had  been  detec 
ted  and  smothered,  but  not  completely  crushed. 
A  second  and  still  more  dangerous  conspiracy  was 
plotted.  The  most  powerful  and  influential  men  in 
the  State  favored  the  design.  An  organized  plan  of 
operation  was  adopted.  The  profoundest  secrecy 
was  preserved.  While  all  appeared  to  be  quiet  and 
secure,  the  machinations  of  the  conspirators  were 
maturing,  and  gaining  strength.  Even  the  officers 
of  the  State  and  the  priests,  gave  their  aid  and 
counsel.  The  people  every v/here,  in  the  towns,  vil 
lages,  and  settlements,  were  exhorted  to  arm  and 
equip  themselves,  to  strike  for  their  faith,  their  re 
ligion,  and  their  altars,  and  drive  the  "heretics,"  the 
"unjust  invaders  of  the  country,"  from  their  soil, 
and  with  fire  and  sword  pursue  them  to  annihilation. 
On  the  1 4th  of  January,  Governor  Charles  Bent, 
attended  by  an  escort  of  five  persons,  among  whom 
were  the  sheriff,  circuit  attorney,  and  the  perfecto, 
left  Santo  Fe  and  proceeded  toAaos.  Upon  his  ar 
rival  there  he  was  applied  to  by  the  Pueblo  Indians 
to  release  from  prison  two  of  their  number,  who  for 
some  misdemeanor  had  been  incarcerated  by  the 
authorities.  The  governor  told  them  they  must 
wait  the  ordinary  process  of  the  laws. 


Governor  Bent  Murdered. 

On  the  i Qtli  of  the  same  month,  the  governor 
and  his  retinue,  were  murdered  in  the  most  cruel 
and  inhuman  manner,  by  the  Pueblos  and  Mexicans, 
te  the  village  of  San  Fednando.  On  the  same  day 
seven  other  Americans,  after  standing  a  seige  of 
two  days,  were  overpowered,  taken  and  butchered  in 
cold  blood  at  the  Arroyo  Hondo;  also  four  at  the 
town  Mora,  and  two  on  the  Colorado. 

The  insurgents  had  assembled  in  strong  force 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       157 

at  La  Canada,  under  command  of  Generals  Ortiz, 
Lafoya,  Chavez,  and  Montoya,  with  the  view  of 
making  a  descent  upon  Santa  Fe.  Col.  Price  hav 
ing  ordered  Major  Edmondson  and  Capt.  Burgwin, 
with  their  respective  commands  from  the  Rio  Aba  jo, 
on  the  morning  of  the  23rd,  at  the  head  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty-three  men,  which  number  after 
ward  augmented  to  four  hundred  and  eighty,  and 
four  mountain  howitzers,  marched  against  the  in 
surgents,  leaving  Lieutenant-colonel  Willock,  with 
a  strong  garrison,  in  command  of  the  capital.  The 
weather  was  extremely  inclement,  and  the  earth 
covered  with  snow. 


Battle  of  Canada. 

"On  the  evening  of  the  24th,  Col.  Price  encoun 
tered  the  enemy  at  Canada,  numbering  about  two 
thousand  men,  under  the  command  of  Generals 
Tofaya,  Chavez,  and  Montoya.  The  enemy  were 
posted  on  the  hills  commanding  each  side  of  the 
road.  About  2  o'clock,  P.  M.,  a  brisk  fire  from  the 
artillery  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Dyer  (of  the 
regular  army)  and  Harsentiver,  was  opened  upon 
them,  but  from  their  being  so  much  scattered,  it 
had  but  little  effect. 

The  artillery  were  within  such  a  short  distance 
as  to  be  exposed  to  a  hot  fire,  which  either  pene 
trated  the  clothes  or  wounded  nineteen  or  twenty 
men  who  served  the  guns.  Col.  Price  seeing  the 
slight  effect  which  the  artillery  had  upon  them,  or 
dered  Captain  Angney  with  his  battalion  to  charge 
the  hill,  which  was  gallantly  done,  being  supported 
by  Captain  St.  Vrain,  of  the  citizens,  and  Lieut. 
White  of  the  Carroll  companies.  The  charge  lasted 
until  sundown. — Our  loss  was  two  killed  and  seven 
wounded.  The  Mexicans  acknowledged  a  loss  of 
thirty-six  killed,  and  forty-five  taken  prisoners. 
The  enemy  retreated  toward  Taos,  their  strong- 


158      INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

hold.  Col.  Price  on  the  2/th  took  up  his  line  of 
march  for  Taos,  and  again  encountered  them  at  El 
Embudo  on  the  29th.  They  discovered  in  the  thick 
brush  on  each  side  of  the  road,  at  the  entrance  of  a 
defile,  by  a  party  of  spies,  who  immediately  fired 
upon  them.  Capt.  Burgwin,  who  had  that  morning- 
joined  Col.  Price  with  his  company  of  dragoons 
hearing  the  firing,  came  up,  together  with  Captain 
St.  Vrain's,  and  Lieutenant  White's  companies.  A 
charge  was  made  by  the  three  companies,  resulting 
in  the  total  rout  of  the  Mexicans  and  Indians.  The 
battle  lasted  about  half  an  hour;  but  the  pursuit  was 
kept  up  for  two  hours. 


Battle  of  Puebla  de  Toas. 

The  march  was  resumed  on  the  next  day,  and 
met  with  no  opposition  until  the  evening  of  the  3rd 
of  February,  at  which  time  they  arrived  at  Pueblo 
de  Toas,  where  they  found  the  Mexicans  and  Indi 
ans  strongly  fortified.  A  few  rounds  were  fired  by 
the  artillery  that  evening,  but  it  was  deemed  advis 
able  not  to  make  a  general  attack  then,  but  wait  un 
til  morning.  The  attack  was  commenced  in  the 
morning  by  two  batteries  under  the  command  of 
Lieuts.  Dyer  and  Wilson,  of  the  regular  army,  and 
Lieut.  Harsentiver  of  the  light  artillery,  by  throw 
ing  shells  into  the  town.  About  meridian,  a  charge 
was  ordered  and  gallantly  executed  by  Capt.  Burg- 
win's  company,  supported  by  Capt.  McMillan's 
company  and  Capt.  Angney's  battalion  of  infantry, 
supported  by  Capt.  Burbee's  company.  The  church 
which  had  been  used  as  a  part  of  the  fortifications, 
was  taken  by  this  charge.  The  fight  was  hotly 
contested  until  night,  when  two  white  flags  were 
hoisted,  but  were  immediately  shot  down.  In  the 
morning  the  fort  surrendered.  The  old  men,  the 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       159 

priests,  and  the  matrons,  bringing  their  children 
and  their  sacred  household  gods  in  their  hands,  be 
sought  the  mercy  and  clemency  of  their  conquerors. 
It  was  granted.  In  this  battle  fell  Capt.  Burgwin, 
than  whom  a  braver  soldier,  or  better  man,  never 
poured  out  his  blood  in  his  country's  cause. 

The  total  loss  of  the  Mexicans  in  the  three  en 
gagements,  is  estimated  at  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
two  killed ;  the  number  of  their  wounded  is  un 
known.  Our  total  loss  was  fifteen  killed  and 
forty-seven  wounded. 


Learning  of  the  insurrection  movement  on  the 
2oth  of  January,  Capt.  Hendley,  who  was  in  com 
mand  of  the  grazing  detatchment  on  the  Pecos,  im 
mediately  took  possession  of  Las  Bagas,  where  the 
insurgents  were  beginning  to  concentrate  their 
forces.  He  now  ordered  the  different  grazing  par 
ties  to  unite  with  him,  and  prepare  for  offensive  and 
defensive  warfare.  In  a  short  time  he  was  joined 
by  various  dctatchments,  increasing  his  number  to 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  men. 


Death  of  Captain  Hendley. 

Lieut.  Hawkins,  with  twenty-five  men  was  dis 
patched  on  the  22nd  to  escort  a  train  of  wagons  in 
to  Las  Bagas,  the  Mexicans  having  sent  out  a  party 
to  plunder  them.  He  soon  met  Capt.  Murphy,  with 
a  train  of  wagons,  convoyed  by  a  detatchment  of 
Capt.  Jackson's  company,  having  in  his  possession 
about  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  specie. 
The  convoy  returned  about  one  day's  march  to 
guard  the  provision  train,  while  the  specie  train 
moved  on  escorted  by  Lieut.  Hawkins. 

Capt.  Hendley,  leaving  the  greater  part  of  his 
force  at  Las  Bagas,  on  the  22nd,  with  eighty  men 
started  for  the  Mora,  where  he  had  learned  the 
Mexicans  were  embodied  two  hundred  strong.  He 


160      INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

arrived  before  the  place  on  the  24th,  ''found  a  body 
of  Mexicans  under  arms,  prepared  to  defend  the 
town,  and  while  forming  his  men  in  a  line  for  attack, 
a  small  party  of  insurgents  were  seen  running  from 
the  hills.  A  detachment  was  ordered  to  cut  them 
off,  which  was  attacked  by  the  main  body  of  the 
enemy.  A  general  engagement  immediately  ensued, 
the  Mexicans  retreating,  and  firing  from  the  win 
dows  and  loopholes  of  their  houses.  Capt.  Hendley 
and  his  men  closely  pusued  them,  rushing  into  their 
houses  with  them,  shooting  some,  and  running  oth 
ers  through  with  their  bayonets.  A  large  body  of 
insurgents  had  taken  possession  of  an  old  fort  and 
commenced  to  fire  from  the  loop  holes  upon  the 
Americans.  Capt.  Hendley  with  a  small  party  had 
taken  possession  of  an  apartment  in  the  fort,  and 
while  preparing  to  fire,  he  was  struck  by  a  ball  from 
an  adjoining  room,  he  fell  and  died  in  a  few  min 
utes.  Our  men  having  no  artillery,  and  the  fort 
being  impregnable  without  it,  retired  to  Las  Bagas. 
The  enemy  had  twenty-five  killed,  and  seventeen 
taken  prisoners.  Our  loss  was  one  killed  and 
three  wounded. 

Thus  fell  the  brave  Capt.  Hendley,  almost  in 
the  moment  of  victory;  and  while  we  lamented  his 
loss,  it  was  some  consolation  to  know  that  he  died 
like  a  soldier.  His  body  \vas  taken  to  Santa  Fe, 
where  he  was  buried  with  all  the  honors  of  war." 

On  the  ist  day  of  February,  the  death  of  Hend 
ley,  as  well  as  that  of  Messrs  Waldo,  Noyes,  Culver 
and  others,  was  avenged  by  Capt.  Morin  and  his 
men,  in  the  complete  demolition  of  the  village  of 
Mora.  The  insurgents  fled  to  the  mountains.  The 
dead  bodies  of  the  Americans  who  had  been  assassi 
nated,  were  conveyed  to  Las  Bagas  for  interment. 

The  battles  of  La  Canada,  Embudo,  Pueblo  de 
Taos,  and  Mora,  in  all  of  which  the  insurgents  were 
vanquished  with  heavy  loss,  suppressed  the  insurec- 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       161 

tion,  and  once  more  restored  quiet,  law  and  order 
throughout  the  territory.  On  the  6th  of  February, 
Montaya,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  conspiracy,  who 
had  styled  himself  the  Santa  Anna  of  the  North, 
was  court  martialed  and  sentenced  to  be  hung.  He 
was  executed  on  the  ^th,  in  the  presence  of  the 
army.  Fourteen  others,  who  were  concerned  in  the 
murder  of  Governor  Bent,  were  tried,  convicted, 
and  executed  in  a  similar  manner,  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Taos. 

Leaving  a  detachment  of  infantry  in  the  valley 
of  Toas,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Angeny,  Col. 
Price  returned  to  Santa  Fe,  where  he  continued  to 
discharge  the  highest  civil  and  military  functions 
of  the  territory.  At  a  subsequent  period,  however, 
Capt.  Angeny  was  relieved  by  Lieutenant-colonel 
Willock's  battalion  of  cavalry. 

The  leading  instigators  of  the  revolution  hav 
ing  fallen  in  battle,  being  executed  on  a  charge  of 
treason,  or  escaped  the  punishment  merited  by 
their  offences,  by  flight  to  the  mountains,-  the  coun 
try  once  more  enjoyed  a  short  repose.  The  insur 
gent  armies  were  dispersed.  The  people  returned 
from  the  hills  and  mountains,  whither  many  of  them 
had  fled  for  refuge  during  the  excitement,  to  their 
respective  homes,  and  resumed  their  daily  avoca 
tions.  Peace  and  harmony  once  more  reigned 
throughout  the  province. 


102       INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 


Holding  the  Territory. 


After  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion  in  New 
Mexico,  the  troops  were  posted  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  city.  A  greater  degree  of  vigilance  was 
observed,  and  stricter  discipline  enforced.  The 
conduct  of  the  Mexicans  was  watched  with  the 
utmost  scruinty.  No  house  was  permitted  to  retain 
arms,  or  other  munitions  of  war,  nor  was  any  Mexi 
can  cavalier  suffered,  as  hitherto  had  been  the  case,  to 
ride  with  impunity  about  the  country,  and  through 
American  camps,  displaying  his  weapons  and  war 
like  trappings,  making  estimates  of  the  American 
forces,  and  keeping  a  strict  espionage  upon  their 
movements.  The  American  soldiers  roused  to  in 
dignation  by  the  brutal  massacres  and  frequent  as 
sassinations  which  had  already  blackened  the  an 
nals  of  the  campaign,  and  thrown  a  dark  shade  over 
the  conquest  of  the  country,  scarcely  spared  the  in 
nocent  and  unoffending.  However,  no  acts  of  viol 
ence  were  perpetrated. 

The  soldiers  slept  upon  their  arms.  They 
never  left  their  quarters,  or  rode  out  of  the  city,  or 
visited  the  villages,  or  passed  through  the  coun- 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       163 

try,  without  their  arms  in  their  hands.  They  were 
always  prepared,  both  night  and  day,  for  any  sud 
den  emergency  that  might  arise;  with  such  suspi 
cion  and  animosity  did  the  Americans  and  New 
Mexicans  now  regard  each  other.  A  suspicious 
quietude  reigned  throughout  the  territory,  but  it 
was  only  that  the  rebellion  might  break  out  afresh 
on  the  first  favorable  opportunity. 


Battle  of  Red  River  Canyon. 
On  the  26th  of  May,  1847,  Major  Edmonson, 
with  a  detatchment  of  two  hundred  men,  under 
Capts.  Holly  and  Robinson,  and  Lieuts.  Elliott  and 
Hughes,  was  vigorously  attacked  by  a  large  body 
of  Mexicans,  Apaches,  Comanche,  and  Kiawa  In 
dians  combined,  at  the  "Red  river  canyon,"  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  Santa  Fe.  The 
The  enemy  were  supposed  to  number  about  five  hun 
dred.  The  action  commenced  about  sunset,  and 
continued  until  dark.  The  defile  was  narrow,  and 
on  either  hand  the  spurs  of  the  mountains  were  rug 
ged  and  unaccessible  to  cavalry.  The  pass  led 
through  a  morass  or  quagmire,  so  difficult" of  pas 
sage  that  the  horses  stuck  fast  in  the  mud.  The 
cavalry  could  not  act  to  any  advantage.  Major 
Edmondson  therefore  dismounted  the  men,  and  cau 
tiously  advanced  upon  the  enemy,  under  the  heavy 
fire.  The  enemy  was  repulsed;  but  gained  fresh 
courage  and  renewed  the  attack  with  more  vigor 
than  ever.  The  Americans  now  slowly  retired  in 
good  order  a  few  hundred  paces  and  occupied  a 
more  favorable  position  for  defense.  The  retreat 
was  covered  by  Lieut.  Elliott,  with  the  Laclede  ran 
gers.  It  was  now  dark.  The  next  morning  Maj. 
Edmondson  led  his  forces  through  the  canyon  to 
renew  the  attack ;  but  the  enemy  had  retreated.  In 
this  engagement  the  Americans  lost  one  man  killed, 
and  had  several  slightly  injured.  The  Mexicans 


164      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

and  Indians  suffered  a  loss  of  seventeen  killed,  and 
no  doubt  many  more  wounded. 


On  the  26th  of  June,  the  horses  belonging  to 
Captain  Horine's  company  of  mounted  men,  station 
ed  under  Major  Edmondson,  near  Las  Bagas,  were 
stolen  by  the  Mexicans,  and  driven  into  the  neigh 
boring  mountains.  On  the  28th  Lieut.  Brown  and 
privates  McClanahan  and  Quinsenbury,  together 
with  one  Mexican  as  a  guide,  were  dispatched  in 
pursuit  of  them.  Not.  returning  on  the  following 
day  as  they  intended,  their  companions  rightly  con 
jectured  that  they  had  been  murdered.  On  the5th 
of  July  a  Mexican  lady  came  into  Las  Bagas  and 
stated  that  three  Americans  and  one  Mexican  had 
recently  been  slain,  and  their  dead  bodies  consumed 
to  ashes. 

Major  Edmondson,  immediately  after  receiving 
this  information,  posted  out  a  strong  picket  guard, 
with  instructions  to  permit  no  one  to  enter  the  camp, 
without  being  first  brought  before  him.  On  the 
same  day,  private  William  Cox,  of  Capt.  Hollaway's 
company,  while  out  hunting  in  the  mountains,  dis 
covered  three  suspicious  looking  Mexicans  trying 
to  shun  him,  whereupon  he  captured  and  brought 
them  into  camp.  They  were  separately  examined 
by  Major  Edmondson,  but  not  being  able  to  extort 
from  them  a  satisfactory  answer,  one  of  them  was 
hanged  by  the  neck  several  times,  and  until  he  had 
almost  expired.  When  let  down  the  third  time  he 
stated,  that  three  Americans  and  one  Mexican  had 
been  recently  murdered,  and  their  dead  bodies  burn 
ed  near  Las  Bagas.  When  this  confession  was  ex 
torted,  Major  Edmondson  pluckily  ordered  the  de- 
tatchment,  which  consisted  of  twenty-nine  cavalry, 
thirty-three  infantry,  and  one  twelve  pound  moun 
tain  howitzer,  to  prepare  for  the  march,  expecting  to 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       165 
reach  town  before  daylight  the  next  morning. 


Capture  of  La  Bagas. 

Major  Edmondson  ascertaining  that  he  would 
not  be  able  to  reach  Las  Bagas  as  soon  as  he  desir 
ed,  hurried  on  with  the  cavalry,  leaving  orders  for 
the  infantry  and  artillery  to  follow  in  the  rear  with 
all  possible  haste.  On  reaching  the  place  he  divi 
ded  his  men  into  two  parties,  under  the  command  of 
Capts.  Hollaway  and  Horine.  They  were  now  or 
dered  to  charge  at  full  speed  on  the  right  and  left 
at  the  same  moment,  and  gain  possession  of  the 
town.  The  charge  was  gallantly  made.  The 
Mexicans  commenced  a  precipitate  retreat  toward 
the  mountains.  A  part  of  the  Americans  fired  up 
on  them,  while  others  entered  the  town.  In  less 
than  fifteen  minutes  ten  Mexicans  were  slain,  the 
fugitives  were  captured,  and  the  town  with  fifty 
prisoners,  taken.  The  Americans  sustained  no  loss. 
In  this  engagement  Capt.  Jackson  and  Lieut.  Oxley 
fought  as  privates.  The  dead  body  of  Lieut. 
Brown,  having  the  cross  suspended  from  the  neck, 
was  not  burned,  but  secreted  among  the  rocks. 
Much  reverence  is  paid  to  the  cross  by  the  most 
cruel  men.  The  clothes,  guns,  sabres,  holsters, 
pistols,  bowie-knives  and  trinkets  of  these  unfort 
unate  men  were  discovered,  secreted  in  various 
houses.  Their  ashes  were  also  found.  The  great 
er  part  of  the  town  was  reduced  to  ashes,  only  a 
sufficient  number  of  houses  being  left  to  shelter  the 
women  and  children.  Also  the  mills  a  few  miles 
from  Las  Bagas,  which  belonged  to  the  alcade,  who 
was  known  to  have  participated  in  the  murder  of 
Lieut.  Brown's  party,  were  consumed. 

The  prisoners,  by  order  of  Col.  Price,  were  con 
veyed  to  Santa  Fe,  where  they  were  tried  before  a 
drum-head  court-martial,  and  six  of  them  senten- 


106      INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

ced  to  death.  This  sentence  was,  accordingly, 
carried  into  execution  in  Santa  Fe,  on  the  third  of 
August,  in  the  presence  of  the  army. 


On  the  9th  of  July,  a  detatchment  of  thirty- 
one  men,  belonging  to  Captain  Morin's  company, 
stationed  on  the  Cienega,  eight  miles  from  Taos, 
were  furiously  attacked,  two  hours  before  daylight, 
by  two  hundred  Mexicans  and  Pueblo  Indians  com 
bined.  Five  of  our  men  were  killed,  and  nine  woun 
ded.  The  remainder  of  the  party  retired  under  the 
banks  of  the  Cienega,  which  position  they  gallantly 
held  until  Capt.  Shepherd  arrived  with  his  com 
pany,  and  assisted  them  in  vanquishing  the  enemy. 

In  the  spring  of  1847,  tne  Indians,  principally 
the  Pawnees  and  Comanches,  infested  the  Santa  Fe 
road,  committed  repeated  depredations  on  the  gov 
ernment  trains,  fearlessly  attacked  the  escorts,  kill 
ed  and  drove  off  great  numbers  of  horses,  mules  and 
oxen,  belonging  to  the  government,  and  in  several 
instances,  overpowered,  and  slew,  or  captured  many 
of  our  people.  They  openly  declared  that  they 
would  cut  off  all  communication  between  the  West 
ern  States  and  New  Mexico,  and  capture  and  en 
slave  every  American,  who  might  venture  to  pass 
the  plains. 

In  pursuance  of  these  views,  a  large  body  of 
Indians,  on  the  22nd  of  June,  attacked  a  returning 
government  train  near  the  grand  Arkansas,  drove 
off  eighty  yoke  of  oxen,  and  in  the  sight  of  the 
teamsters  whose  force  was  too  weak  to  offer  effec 
tual  resistance,  wantonly  and  cruelly  slaughtered 
them  for  amusement,  and  for  the  gratification  of 
their  savage  propensities. 

On  the  26th,  Lieut.  Love's  convoy,  with  300,000 
dollars -in  specie,  encamped  near  the  Arkansas.  He 
was  furiously  assailed  by  a  body  of  five  hundred 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       107 

savages,  who  had  taken  their  position  in  the  road, 
and  lain  in  wait  to  surprise  him  at  dawn.  They 
succeeded  in  frightening  the  stock.  One  hundred 
and  fifty  yoke  of  oxen,  in  a  stampede,  wildly  scam 
pered  off,  and  crossed  the  river,  followed  by  the 
Indians,  yelling  and  firing  amongst  the  herd. 
Twenty  of  Lieut.  Love's  men  pursued  to  recover 
the  cattle,  while  the  rest  remained  to  protect  the 
train.  They  charged  the  Indians  about  one  mile, 
who  retired;  but  this  was  a  ruse  to  lead  them  into 
an  ambuscade.  At  this  moment  more  than  one 
hundred  Indians  sallied  forth  from  an  ambush,  in 
tercepted  their  retreat,  and  fiercely  attacked  them. 
They  were  now  completely  surrounded  by  savages. 
The  engagement  became  close  and  severe.  At  length 
the  Americans  charged  through  the  enemy's  ranks, 
and  made  good  their  retreat.  The  loss  of  Indians 
in  this  action  was  twenty-five  killed,  and  perhaps 
double  that  number  wounded.  The  Americans  in 
killed  and  wounded  lost  eleven.  The  savages  were 
mounted  on  horses,  and  armed  with  guns,  pistols, 
lances,  shields,  and  bows  and  arrows. 


On  the  27th  of  October,  1846,  Capt.  Mann's 
train  of  twenty-four  government  wagons  was  en 
camped,  thirty  miles  below  the  crossing  of  the  Ar 
kansas.  The  next  morning  two  of  the  best  mules 
were  missing.  The  captain  and  Yates  started  in 
search  of  them.  They  had  not  proceed  far  when 
they  saw  signs  of  Indians.  They  returned  to 
camp — geared  up — and  started  off,  leaving  Wood- 
son  and  Stricklin  a  short  distance  in  the  rear,  with 
one  wagon. 

At  this  crisis  several  hundred  Indians  came 
yelling  furiously  from  the  hills,  and  some  attacked 
the  train,  while  others  surrounded  the  two  men 
with  the  wagon.  The  trains  were  halted  and  the 


108      INCIDENTS   OF   THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

wagons  corraled.  Woodson  and  Stricklin  were 
rescued,  but  the  wagon  which  contained  the  Cap 
tain's  scrutoire  and  three  year's  outfit  of  clothing 
was  taken  rifled  and  burned.  The  American  loss 
was  one  killed,  and  four  wounded — loss  of  the  In 
dians  not  ascertained. 

The  Indians  now  surrounded  the  corral; — 
night  approaching,  Capt.  Mann  and  his  men  deter 
mined  to  gear  up,  take  the  wounded  and  decamp. 
Accordingly  a  white  flag  was  hoisted,  and  the  train 
moved  off.  In  a  short  time  they  were  overtaken 
by  the  savages,  who  told  them  they  desired  to  be 
friendly.  A  halt  was  ordered  and  the  wagons  again 
corraled.  About  10  o'clock  at  night,  the  Indians 
came  rushing  and  yelling,  like  a  legion  of  devils, 
and  drove  off  two  hundred  and  eighty  mules,  leav 
ing  only  twelve  behind.  The  party  now  decamped, 
left  the  trains,  and  traveled  on  foot  thirty  miles, 
carrying  the  wounded,  where  they  overtook  Capt. 
Mcllvaine,  who  sent  back  for  the  wagons.  Here 
they  fortified,  four  miles  below  the  Crossing  and 
sent  the  wounded  to  Fort  Bent. 


About  the  first  of  July,  1847,  a  regiment  of  vol 
unteer  infantry,  raised  in  Illinois,  and  commanded 
by  Colonels  Newby  and  Boyakin,  were  outfited  at 
Fort  Leavenworth,  and  dispatched  across  the  plains 
to  relieve  the  troops  under  Col.  Price,  at  Santa  Fe, 
whose  term  of  service  would  soon  expire.  This  is 
the  6th  Illinois  regiment. 

Also  between  the  5th  and  2Oth  of  August,  a 
battalion  of  infantry,  under  command  of  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Easton,  and  a  full  regiment  of  cavalry,  com 
manded  by  Colonels  Rails  and  Jones,  and  Major 
Reynolds,  all  Missouri  volunteers,  departed  from 
Fort  Leavenworth,  destined  for  Santa  Fe.  This  is 
the  4th  regiment,  and  the  fourth  separate  battalion 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR.       109 

of  volunteers,  Missouri  had  furnished  for  the  war 
with  Mexico. 

About  the  27th  of  September,  the  fifth  separate 
battalion  of  Missouri  volunteers,  under  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Powell,  left  Fort  Leavenworth  for  its  des 
tination  on  the  Oregon  route.  This  is  demonstrat 
ed  the  Oregon  battalion,  and  was  employed  in  con 
structing  a  cordon  of  military  posts  from  Western 
Missouri  to  the  Oregon  territory. 

Between  the  ist  and  I5th  of  August,  Gen. 
Price,  and  the  troops  under  his  command,  returned 
to  Missouri,  where  they  arrived  about  the  25th  of 
September,  having  lost  more  than  four  hundred  men 
in  battle  and  disease.  A  garrison  of  five  companies, 
three  of  volunteers  and  two  of  regulars,  was  left  in 
Santa  Fe,  under  Lieutenant-colonel  Walker.  Gen. 
Price  was  returned  to  Santa  Fe.  His  force  was  now 
about  three  thousand  men  and  proved  ample  to  re 
tain  the  victories  already  won. 


170      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


A  Graphic  Oration. 


The  following  extracts  are  from  an  able  speech 
made  by  Hon.  Thomas  J.  Mackey,  of  South  Caro 
lina,  at  a  reunion  of  Mexican  War  Veterans,  in 
Washington  City,  December  8th,  1883. 


Mr.  President  and  Comrades  of  the  Mexican 
War: 

By  your  favor,  I  have  been  assigned  the  del 
icate  duty  of  reciting  history  in  the  presence  of  those 
who  have  acted  history.  In  so  doing,  I  shall  vio 
late  the  prudent  counsel  of  a  distinguished  teacher 
of  modern  languages,  who  advised  his  scholars  on 
graduating,  always  to  speak  their  French  among 
Germans  and  their  German  among  Frenchmen. 

The  dust  of  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  has 
gathered  over  the  curtain  that  fell  upon  the  last 
scene  of  that  splendid  drama  in  which  you  bore  hon 
orable  parts  on  the  stage  of  actual  conflict.  I  can 
but  lift  that  curtain  for  a  brief  moment,  while  we 
glance  through  the  long  vista  of  thirty-seven  years 
upon  the  scenes  which  to  us  are  still  living  memo 
ries,  while  others  must  glean  them  from  the  historic 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       171 

page,  or  perchance,  hear  them  recited  at  the  house 
hold  altar,   where 

''The  broken  soldier  kindly  bade  to  stay, 
vSits  by  his  fire  and  talks  the  night  away ; 
Weeps  o'er  his  wounds,  or  tales  of  sorrow  done, 
Shoulders  his  crutch  and  shows  how  fields   were 
won." 

Seventy-nine  thousand  ,  rank  and  file,  consti 
tuting  that  splendid  army,  charged  with  the  duty 
in  connection  with  our  grand  old  historic  navy  of 
enforcing  from  Mexico  indemnity  for  the  past  and 
security  for  the  future.  That  demand,  history  at 
tests,  they  translated  into  action. 

It  was  not  an  easy  task  assigned  that  army 
and  navy. 

The  republic  of  Mexico  consisted  of  nineteen 
States,  having  an  aggregate  population  of  nearly 
nine  millions.  She  had  a  standing  army  of  seventv 
thousand,  and  had  called  into  the  field  an  additional 
force  of  nearly  two  hundred  thousand.  Her  sol 
diers  were  well  equipped  and  magnificently  unifor 
med.  We  could  say  of  her  with  literal  truth,  that 
her  "cohorts  were  gleaming  with  purple  and  gold." 

Her  coast  defences  were  provided  with  good 
armaments  and  well  manned,  and  her  principal  sea 
port,  Vera  Cruz,  was  guarded  by  the  castle  of  San 
Juan  D,Ulloa,  mounting  four  hundred  guns,  and 
one  of  the  strongest  fortresses  in  the  world.  No 
country  on  earth  was  better  adapted  by  its  topog 
raphy  for  defensive  warfare. 

And  it  had  a  formidable  ally  in  the  deadly  cli 
mate  of  its  coast,  where  the  tropical  sun  shining 
upon  the  ever  decaying  masses  of  rank  vegetation, 
burns  up  the  blood  with  fever,  alternating  with  the 
icy  norther  that  in  an  hour  will  often  vary  the  tem 
perature  from  summer's  heat  to  winter's  cold. 


172      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Three  lines  of  operation  against  Mexico  were 
now  determined  on : 

1.  General  Taylor  was  to  operate  from  Ma- 
tamoros  along  the  line  of  the  Rio  Grande. 

2.  A  column  under  Gen.  Kearney  was  to  con 
quer  the  Mexican  territories  of  New  Mexico  and 
California. 

3.  A  column  under  Gen.  Wool  was  to  enter 
the  northern  States  of  Mexico  and  conquer  Chihua 
hua. 


Battle  of  Monterey. 

In  pursuance  of  this  plan,  Gen.  Taylor  advanc 
ed  upon  the  Mexican  army,  then  in  position  at  Mon 
terey,  September  5th,  1846. 

His  army  numbered  6,600,  and  was  composed 
of  3,200  regular  troops,  of  the  ist,  3rd,  4th,  5th, 
7th,  and  8th  Infantry,  four  companies  of  the  2nd 
dragoons,  five  batteries  of  artillery — and  3,400  vol 
unteers,  consisting  of  the  first  regiments  from  Ohio, 
Kentucky,  Mississippi,  and  Tennessee,  two  Texas 
regiments,  commanded  by  Brigadier-general  Hen 
derson,  including  Jack  Hay's  famous  rangers,  and 
one  battalion  from  Maryland  and  the  District  of 
Columbia. 

The  Mexican  forces  consisted  of  7,000  regulars 
and  3,500  volunteers,  with  an  ample  supply  of  ar 
tillery,  in  strong  works,  covering  every  approach 
to  the  city.  Their  principal  works  were  known  as 
Forts  Diabolo,  Teneria,  Saldado,  Independence,  the 
Bishop's  Palace  and  the  Citadel. 

Our  army  attacked  in  three  divisions,  com 
manded  by  Gen'ls.  Worth,  Twiggs,  and  Butler,  of 
Kentucky. 

The  enemy  made  a  fierce  and  desperate  resist 
ance,  raising  the  old  Spanish  war  cry,  of  "War  to 
the  knife,  and  the  knife  to  the  hilt!"  The  firing 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       173 

was  incessant  from  barricades  in  the  streets,  and 
from  the  windows  and  roofs  of  the  dwelling,  as 
our  soldiers  entered  the  city  after  carying  all  the 
outer  defences  by  assault.  Our  men  had  actually  to 
dig  their  way  through  the  walls  of  the  houses  in  ad 
vancing.  The  attack  began  on  September  2Oth,  and 
ended  on  the  23rd,  with  the  surrender  of  the  enemy. 


Battle  of  Buena  Vista. 

Early  in  the  following  December  all  of  the 
regular  infantry  was  withdrawn  from  General  Tay 
lor's  army,  and  ordered  to  report  to  Major-general 
Winfield  Scott,  who  had  assumed  command  in  per 
son,  of  the  fourth  great  column  of  invasion,  whose 
object  point  was  the  capital  of  Mexico. 

General  Taylor's  army  was  thus  reduced  to  a 
force  of  only  4,500  men  of  all  arms,  composed  alto 
gether  of  volunters,  except  three  batteries  of  the 
regular  army,  and  two  squadrons  of  the  2nd  dra 
goons.  Its  numerical  weakness  invited  attack,  and 
General  Santa  Anna,  the  most  renowned  and  skil- 
full  of  the  Mexican  commanders,  accordingly  moved 
his  army  against  him.  That  army  numbered,  ac 
cording  to  the  official  Mexican  reports,  23,  400  men, 
two-thirds  of  whom  were  regular  troops. 

General  Taylor  selected  a  position  admirably 
adapted  for  defence  at  the  Rancho  of  Buena  Vista. 
The  position  was  marked  by  narrow  defiles,  deep 
ravines  and  rugged  and  high  ridges  that  command 
ed  the  valley  below. 

An  army  dislodged  from  such  a  position  by 
such  a  foe  is  lost,  and  well  each  American  soldier 
knew  it.  The  battle  began  at  daylight,  on  Febru 
ary  23rd,  1847,  by  the  attack  of  the  enemy  in  force 
upon  our  left  flank.  That  attack  was  handsomely 
repulsed  by  the  fire  of  the  2nd  Illinois  infantry,  and 
the  Kentucky  cavalry,  with  Bragg's  and  Sherman's 


174      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

splendidly  served  batteries,  a  battalion  of  the  2nd 
and  3rd,  Indiana  riflemen,  and  company  of  dis 
mounted  Arkansas  cavalry. 

About  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  another  heavy 
column  of  Mexicans  moved  along  the  road  against 
the  center  of  our  position.  This  force  was  check 
ed  by  the  well  directed  lire  of  Washington's  battery, 
and  diverged  to  our  left  where  the  enemy  was  con 
centrating  for  a  decisive  attack.  The  extreme  left 
of  our  line  was  posted  on  a  high  and  broad  plateau, 
and  was  composed  of  the  2nd  Indiana  and  2nd 
Illinois  infantry.  The  tremendous  impact  of  that 
attack  compelled  those  regiments  to  retire  after  sus 
taining  for  some  time  a  terrible  cross  fire  of  artillery 
and  a  heavy  fire  on  their  front  by  a  greatly  superior 
force  of  infantry.  At  that  crisis  of  the  battle  the 
first  Mississippi  Rifles,  commanded  by  Col.  Jeffer 
son  Davis,  doubtless  saved  the  day  by  rapidity  and 
accuracy  of  their  fire,  delivered  against  the  advanc 
ing  cavalry  of  the  enemy  then  exulting  in  the  pros 
pects  of  speedy  victory.  Most  gallantly  did  he  up 
hold  the  starry  ensign  of  the  Union,  and  for  that, 
though  his  fortunes  have  foundered  since,  in  grate 
ful  memory,  for  the  flag's  sake,  we  respectfully 
salute  him  now.  The  Mississippi  Rifles  were  soon 
gallantly  supported  by  the  3rd  Indiana,  1st,  Illinois, 
and  2nd  Kentucky  regiments,  with  a  section  of 
Bragg's  famous  battery,  and  the  ground  lost  on  our 
left  flank  was  in  great  part  recovered.  At  the  base 
of  the  mountains  the  right  flank  of  the  enemy  was 
held  in  check  by  the  regular  dragoons,  and  the  In 
diana  and  Arkansas  troops,  and  the  destructive  fire 
of  our  artillery,  shattering  that  it  might  reach,  and 
reaching  that  it  might  shatter  the  dense  line  of  the 
enemy,  of  whose  magnificent  cavalry  it  may  be  said : 

"The  sheen  of  the  spears  was  like  the  stars  on  the 
sea, 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE  MEXICAN    WAR.       173 

When  the  blue   waves   rolled     nightly     on     deep 
Gallilee:" 

At  that  moment,  when  his  attacking  force  had 
received  such  a  disastrous  check,  Gen.  Santa  Anna 
with  characteristic  cunning  sent  in  a  flag  of  truce, 
and  our  fire  was  suspended.  This  expedient  can 
not  be  too  much  commended  in  the  practice  of  the 
art  of  war,  although  all  writers  upon  grand  strategy 
have  overlooked  it  in  works  upon  military  science. 
Whenever  your  attacking  columns  are  about  to  be 
repulsed  and  shattered,  hurry  up  a  flag  of  truce 
and  demand  the  surrender  of  your  exultant  enemy; 
and  then,  before  he  can  recover  from  his  astonish 
ment  at  your  sublime  impudence,  reform  your 
broken  columns,  and  retire  with  dignity  under  the 
shelter  of  the  peaceful  symbol.  Santa  Anna's  de 
mand  for  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Taylor's  army  was 
promptly  declined  by  "Old  Rough  and  Ready," 
without  thanks  The  battle  was  soon  after  renewed 
by  the  enemy  who  brought  all  his  forces  into  action. 
After  a  tremendous  struggle  they  were  again  dis 
astrously  repulsed.  The  battle  of  the  twelve  ter 
rible  hours  had  ended,  and  "our  flag  was  still 
there!"  Santa  Anna  retired  rapidly  with  his  army 
into  the  interior,  only  taking  time  to  send  off  a 
bulletin  to  the  capital,  announcing  that  he  had  just 
won  a  "glorious  victory"  over  the  "Barbarians  of 
the  North,  at  Buena  Vista." 

This  victory  ended  in  a  blaze  of  glory  the  bat 
tle  record  of  the  army  of  occupation  under  General 
Taylor. 


Conquest  of  California. 

In  the  mean  time  the  army  of  the  West,  2,500 
strong,    under   the   command   of   General    Stephen 


173      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

W.  Kearney,  had  been  reaping  a  rich  harvest  of 
laurels,  winning  victory  after  victory  against  vast 
odcls,  and  almost  unsttrmountable  natural  obstacles. 

By  a  rapid  march  from  Fort  Leavenworth  to 
Santa  Fe,  a  distance  of  900  miles,  in  35  days,  New 
Mexico  was  taken  possession  of  without  firing  a 
shot.  Dividing  his  forces  at  Santa  Fe,  Gen.  Kear 
ney,  with  150  dragoons,  marched  to  California,  de 
feated  the  enemy  in  a  warm  engagement  at  San 
Pasqual  and  formed  a  junction  with  the  California 
rifle  battalion,  and  marines  and  sailors,  from  the 
squadron  of  the  navy,  under  the  command  of  Com 
modore  Stockton,  who  had  just  succeeded  the  gal 
lant  commander  Sloat,  who  had  previously  taken  the 
California  port  of  Monterey. 

Prior  to  the  arrival  of  Gen.  Kearney,  however, 
that  gallant  soldier  and  untiring  explorer,  John  C. 
Fremont,  had  hoisted  the  American  Standard  in 
California.  He  was  there  under  orders  to  ascertain 
a  new  route  to  Oregon,  further  south  than  that 
usually  traveled  by  emigrants.  Upon  learning  in 
May,  1846,  that  the  Mexican  government  had  or 
dered  all  American  settlers  from  that  province,  and 
had  raised  a  force  to  expell  them,  he  recruited  Ji 
body  of  400  men,  and  defeated  the  Mexicans  in 
several  engagements  in  the  valley  of  the  Sacra 
mento  before  he  had  even  heard  that  war  existed 
between  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  and  un 
der  his  leadership  the  Americans  in  California, 
united  with  many  of  the  natives,  had  declared  their 
independence  of  Mexico  on  the  5th  day  of  July,  1846. 
This  is  an  excellent  example.  All  Americans  who 
contemplate  settling  in  Spanish-American  coun 
tries,  should  carry  copies  of  our  Declaration  of  In 
dependence  with  them.  "No  family  should  be  with- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE    MEXICAN    \VAR.       177 

Battle  of  Vcra  Cruz. 

Changing  the  scene,  on  the  Qth  of  March,  1847, 
the  army  of  Mexico,  under  the  command  of  Gen 
eral  Winfield  Scott,  that  most  regal  of  American 
soldiers,  never  to  be  named  by  us,  comrades,  but 
with  uplifted  hats,  began  its  victorious  movement 
for  the  "Halls  of  the  Montezumas."  General  Scott 
on  that  day,  effected  the  landing  of  his  army  at 
Sacrificio?,,  an  island  seven  miles  west  of  Vera 
Cruz.  The  landing  was  made  in  sixty-seven  surf 
boats,  each  holding  seventy-five  men,  under  cover 
of  the  guns  of  our  fleet,  commanded  by  Commo 
dore  Conner,  with  those  brilliant  naval  officers, 
Commodores  Perry  and  Tatnall,  in  command  of 
squadrons  of  his  fleet.  Scott's  army,  upon  landing, 
numbered  13,000,  rank  and  file.  He  established  his 
lines  on  the  north  and  east  front  of  Vera  Cruz  on 
the  same  day.  He  planted  five  siege  batteries, 
built  of  sand  bags,  within  a  thousand  yards  of  the 
walls  of  the  city.  One  of  the  batteries  was  mount 
ed  with  8-inch  ship  guns,  and  manned  by  sailors 
from  the  fleet.  A  demand  for  the  surrender  of  the 
city  having  been  made  and  refused,  our  guns  open 
ed  fire  on  March  22nd,  and  for  three  days  and 
nights  rained  the  red  hot  ruin  of  avenging  war 
upon  it.  On  the  morning  of  the  25th,  General 
Landero,  commanding  the  Mexican  garrison  of  the 
city,  and  the  castle  of  San  Juan  d'  Ulloa,  sent  in 
a  flag  of  truce  with  overtures  of  surrender. 

He  at  first  proposed  to  surrender  the  city  alone. 
General  Scott  refused  this,  demanding  the  castle 
also.  This  demand  was  finally  acceded  to,  and  the 
surrender  of  the  Mexican  army  at  Vera  Cruz,  8,- 
ooo  strong,  was  formally  made  on  March  2O,th, 
1847,  when  we  entered  in  triumph  the  beautiful 
city  of  the  "True  Cross." 


178      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

War  Ended  by  a  Treaty  of  Peace. 

The  Mexican  war  was  ended  by  a  treaty  of 
peace,  concluded  at  the  hacienda  of  Guadulupe 
Hildalgo,  on  February  2nd,  1848.  Peace  was  pro 
claimed  by  President  Polk,  July  4th,  1848. 

It  was  no  holiday  war.  It  was  replete  with 
toilsome  and  weary  marches,  with  blistering  and 
bleeding  feet,  through  hot  sand  under  a  tropical 
sun,  and  over  jagged  rocks  and  snowy  mountain 
ranges,  where  horses  and  riders  perished  with 
cold. 

It  had  its  many  dark  days,  when  the  soldier 
was  faint  with  hunger  and  his  tongue  parched  with 
thirst.  It  was  full  of  nameless  tragedies,  both  on 
bloody  fields,  in  front  of  many  a  battery's  smoking 
guns,  and  in  the  deeper  gloom  of  the  fever  stricken 
hospitals,  where  the  living,  in  their  anguish,  envied 
the  deep  repose  of  the  dead. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  the  grand  scenery 
of  Mexico,  its  wonderful  climate,  or  the  endless  vari 
ety  of  its  agricultural  products.  As  early  as  1804, 
the  great  Humboldt  wrote  of  it :  "All  the  climates 
and  all  the  products  can  be  found  here." 

Least  of  all  will  I  attempt,  in  such  an  assem 
blage  of  battle-scarred  veterans,  to  describe  the  fair 
women  of  Mexico.  With  them  we  had  no  battles, 
but  yet  must  confess  that  we  had  with  them  many 
warm  engagements  in  which  we  were  always  com 
pelled  to  surrender  to  their  arms. 

But  these  things  belong  to  the  dear,  dead  sum 
mers  of  the  heart.  They  come  back  like  bright 
phantoms,  robed  in  airy  drapery,  to  visit  the  silent 
nails  of  memory,  where  once  again  the  veteran  of 
1846  beholds,  with  ardent  gaze,  the  joyous  "fandan 
go"  of  Mexico. 

"Where  the  glance  of  her  virgins  were  ever  archly 
deep, 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN   WAR.       179 

And  their  dark  eyes  ever  full  of  passion  and  of 
sleep." 

In  that  memorable  war,  comrades,  which  last 
ed  two  and  a-half  years,  we  fought  seventy  battles 
and  engagements  without  the  final  loss  of  a  single 
gun  or  American  ensign. 

Engaged  always  against  heavy  odds,  we  bore 
the  honor  of  this  great  republic  triumphantly  on 
the  points  of  our  ever  advancing  swords  and  bayon 
ets,  on  fields — 

''Ploughed  deep  with  hurrying  hoof  and  wheel, 
Shot-sown,  and  bladed  thick  with  steel !" 

Blended  with  this  honorable  reflection  we 
proudly  recall  the  fact  that  we  marched  nearly 
four  thousand  miles  through  the  country  of  an 
enemy,  alien  to  us  in  race,  language  and  religion, 
and  performed  no  act  to  wound  the  modesty  of 
woman  or  sully  the  sanctity  of  her  person.  The 
blaze  of  no  defenceless  homestead  lighted  up  our 
line  of  march,  and  no  vesper  bell  ceased  to  sound 
because  of  our  coming. 

We  were  always  merciful  in  the  hour  of  vic 
tory,  and  while  we  vindicated  the  prowess  of  our 
country,  we  illustrated  its  civilization. 

Thus  should  it  always  have  been,  and  thus 
may  it  ever  be  with  the  American  soldier! 

What  have  been  the  material  results  of  that 
victorious  war? 

By  our  arms,  our  country  won  the  vast  terri 
tories  of  California,  Utah,  Nevada,  Colorado  and 
New  Mexico,  and  made  it  easy  to  acquire  Arizona 
for  a  merely  nominal  sum.  We  thereby  added  one 
million  square  miles,  or  840,000,000  of  acres  to 
the  United  States,  nearly  doubling  its  area.  Ac 
cording  to  authoritative  statistics  there  has  been 


180      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

taken  from  the  mines  and  rivers  of  the  territories 
thus  acquired,  since  1848,  gold  and  silver  of  the 
value  of  $3,000,000,000.  Averaging  the  soldier  at 
140  pounds,  this  amount  is  sufficient  to  award  to 
every  soldier,  actually  engaged  in  the  battles  of 
Mexico,  were  even  all  now  living,  his  weight  in 
pure  gold.  Of  the  85,000  men  who  participated  in 
those  battles,  less  than  6,000  survive.  This  fact  is 
attested  by  a  most  careful  census  of  the  survivers. 
Yet  we  are  told,  in  the  discussion  of  the  bill  so  long 
pending,  to  pension  the  veterans  of  the  Mexican 
war,  that  "too  many  are  still  living"  to  warrant  the 
granting  the  pensions  to  aid  in  maintaining  them  in 
their  declining  years.  This  is  the  base  economy  of 
ingratitude.  Such  an  objector  could  only  be  satis 
fied  by  a  proviso  in  the  bill,  that  it  should  not  take 
effect  during  the  lifetime  of  any  veteran,  and  the 
amount  appropriated  should  be  converted  into  the 
treasury  of  the  United  States,  upon  the  death  of  the 
last  survivor.  May  the  feeblest  of  you  comrades 
survive  the  Congressman  who  makes  this  objection, 
and  live  many  years  after  he  has  beheld  the  slow 
but  certainty  of  justice  of  his  country  fully  vindicat 
ed  against  the  fat-ribbed  advocate  of  lean  appro 
priations  for  disabled  veterans  of  the  nation's  wars. 


A  Blessing  to  the  Nation. 

A  writer  in  the  "Vedette,"  in  speaking  of  trie 
Mexican  war,  reviews  its  causes  and  then  adds : 

The  patriotic  spirit  of  the  people  of  our  coun 
try  was  aroused  to  a  degree  that  had  never  before 
been  seen  since  the  Revolution  of  1776.  But  the 
old  Tory  element  in  our  midst  soon  organized  an 
opposition  party  and  wagged  their  venomous 
tongues  with  fanatical  vigor  against  appropriating 
money  or  supplies  for  the  men  who  had  left  their 
farms  and  workshops  to  vindicate  the  honor  of  our 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       181 

country  and  its  flag.  A  leader  of  this  faction  in  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  in  arguing  against  an 
appropriation  uttered  an  expression  that  shocked 
the  senses  of  all  true  men.  He  said :  "If  I  were  a 
Mexican  as  I  am  an  American,  I  would  welcome 
the  invaders  of  rny  country  with  bloody  hands  to 
hospitable  graves." 

With  such  enemies  in  the  rear,  and  a  ferocious 
foe  before  them,  the  young  men  who  had  rallied 
around  the  flag  of  the  Union,  uneducated  in  the  art 
of  war,  but  filled  with  patriotic  ardor  and  a  high 
sense  of  duty,  being  separated  from  their  homes, 
their  wives  and  sweethearts,  and  braving  pestilence 
in  a  malarial  climate,  suffering  privations  that  would 
be  regarded  as  incredible  if  related  in  detail,  in  their 
desperation  trampled  and  routed  every  army  they 
encountered,  never  yielding  to  the  enemy,  but  al 
ways  driving  them  from  their  positions  by  bayonet 
or  sabre,  until  they  finaly  conquered  a  peace,  with 
"indemnity  for  the  past  and  security  for  the  future." 

A  fraction  of  more  than  two  years  of  active 
warfare  placed  the  United  States  of  America  on  an 
equality  with  the  greatest  commercial  nations  of  the 
earth.  In  military  renown  her  soldiers  were  recog 
nized  as  invincible.  In  the  acquisition  of  the  ter 
ritory,  utterly  useless  to  Mexico,  we  commanded  the 
great  highway  to  the  Pacific  Oceon  and  the  Oriental 
market,  for  the  older  and  more  populous  States 
of  the  Union. 

The  success  of  the  military  operations  in  Mexico 
excited  the  patriotism  of  the  whole  people  in  all 
sections  of  the  Union.  Military  companies  in  civil 
life  were  organized  in  all  the  cities  and  towns  of  the 
Union,  to  such  an  extent  that  within  a  dozen  years 
from  the  close  of  that  war,  the  States  of  the  North 
and  South  were  able  to  place  over  3,000,000  of  men 
in  the  field  with  a  practical  knowledge  of  warfare 
derived  from  experience  in  Mexico,  producing 


182       INCIDENTS    OF  THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

heroes  innumerable.  The  increased  circulation  of 
gold  and  silver  taken  from  the  mines  of  California 
and  Nevada  developed  the  resourses  of  the  country 
to  a  marvelous  extent.  "Enterprises  of  great  pith 
and  moment"  were  projected  every  day.  Clipper 
ships  and  magnificant  steamers  gave  an  impetus  to 
commerce  and  civilization  that  surpasses  any  era  in 
the  history  of  the  world.  The  railroads  accross  the 
continent  were  a  direct  result  of  the  war  with 
Mexico.  The  twenty-nine  States,  sparsely  settled, 
when  the  Mexican  war  broke  out,  have  been  in 
creased  to  fourty-four,  with  four  more  ready  for 
admission,  and  the  population  has  swollen  to  a  fabu 
lous  figure,  being  more  than  seventy  millions  today. 
Not  an  acre  of  the  million  square  miles  achieved 
was  made  "slave  territory,"  and  the  charge  so  often 
made  that  the  war  was  prosecuted  "in  the  interest 
of  slavery  and  slave  holders"  is  without  the  shadow 
of  truth.  In  point  of  fact,  the  acquisition  of  this 
vast  territory  destroyed  the  political  power  of  the 
slave  States,  by  the  admission  of  free  States  ex 
clusively,  and  the  final  abolition  of  slavery  was  an 
incident  directly  traceable  to  that  historical  con 
flict. 


Lincoln's  Endorsement. 

A  senator  from  one  the  states  acquired  by 
the  soldiers  of  Mexico  stated  in  a  speech  one  day, 
that  when  he  arrived  here  in  1864 — '65  and  called  on 
President  Lincoln,  the  great  man  took  the  Senator 
by  both  hands  and  said :  "I-  am  glad  to  see  yo.u.  You 
come  from  a  country  which  has  given  us  the  means 
to  preserve  this  Union.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the 
gold  and  silver  we  got  from  California,  Nevada, 
and  the  other  Pacific  States  and  Territories,  we 
could  not  have  maintained  our  national  credit,  and 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  'MEXICAN    WAR.       183 

all  would  have  been  lost.     I   feel  grateful   to  the 
pioneers  of  that  country." 

Who  were  the  pioneers  of  that  country  ?  Were 
they  not  the  volunteers  who  braved  the  storm  of 
battle  and  forced  the  treaty  of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo, 
whereby  the  title  of  the  United  State  was  confirmed  ? 


The  Battle  of  Palo  Alto. 
(Air— "The  Manner  Hymn.") 

A  wild  huzza — a  daring  charge, 

On  Palo  Alto's  plain, 
Is  answered  by  shrill  trumpet  notes, 

And  echo'd  back  again — 
Is  echo'd  back  again  by  foes 

Who  dare  us  to  the  strife, 
Where  thousands  guard  the  chapparal, 

And  offer  life  for  life. 

Old  "Rough  and  Ready"  cheers  his  men, 

And     bids  them  follow  him 
Into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,    • 

At  risk  of  life  and  limb — 
"At  risk  of  life  and  limb,"  he  cries, 

"Come  follow,  follow  all, 
Where  glory  crowns  the  living  man, 

And  weaves  the  martyr's  pall." 
"We'll  take  yon  frowning  battery," 

Loud  shouts  the  gallant  May, 
While  Ringgold  points  his  polished  guns, 

The  foremost  in  the  fray, 
The  foremost  in  the  fray  was  he, 

The  valiant  and  the  brave — 
And  nobly  lost  his  valued  life 

To  win  an  honor'd  grave. 


184      INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

The  day  of  strife  and  blood  is  o'er — 

The  foe  has  fled  afar — 
The  weary  soldier  rests  in  peace, 

But  dreams  of  bloody  war — 
He  dreams  of  bloody  war  and  frowns, 

'Til  angel  faces  come 
To  whisper  mercy  in  his  ear 

And  bid  him  dream  of  Home. 


What  Did  the  Privates  Do? 

Our  dailies  teem  with  daring  deeds, 

And  books  are  filled  with  fame, 
Brass  bands  will  play  and  cannons  roar 

In  honor  of  the  name 
Of  men  who  held  commissions,  and 

Were  honest,  brave  and  true ; 
But  still  the  question  comes  to  me, 

What  did  the  privates  do? 

Who  were  the  men  to  guard  the  camp 

When  the  foes  were  hovering  'round? 
Who  dug  the  graves  of  comrades  dear  ? 

Who  laid  them  in  the  ground  ? 
Who  sent  the  dying  message  home 

To  those  he  never  knew? 
If  the  officers  did  all  this, 

What  did  the  privates  do? 

Who  were  the  men  to  fill  the  place 

Of  comrades  slain  in  strife? 
Who  were  the  men  to  risk  their  own 

To  save  a  comrade's  life? 
Who  was  it  lived  on  salted  pork 

And  bread  too  hard  to  chew? 
If  the  officers  did  this  alone, 

What  did  the  privates  do? 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN    \\'\\\.       18; 

Who  laid  in  pits  on  rainy  nights 

All  eager  for  the  fray  ? 
Who  marched  beneath  a  scorching  sun 

Through  many  a  toilsome  day? 
Who  paid  the  sutler  double  price, 

And  scanty  rations  drew? 
If  officers  get  all  the  praise, 

Then,  what  did  the  privates  do? 

All  honor  to  the  brave  old  boys 

Who  rallied  at  the  call- 
Without  regard  to  name  or  rank, 

We  honor  one  and  all. 
They're  passing  over,  one  by  one, 

And  soon  they'll  all  be  gone 
To  where  the  books  will  surely  show 

Just  what  the  boys  have  done. 

— Selected. 


The  Lesson  of  a  Fandango. 

"A  narrow  escape,"  said  the  adjutant,  an  old 
campaigner,  who  was  seated  on  a  log  during  one  of 
the  reunions  of  the  glorious  old  Eleventh  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteer  Cavalry  during  the  late  war,  to  one 
of  his  brother  officers,  who  was  recounting  a  thrill 
ing  adventure  in  which  he  narrowly  escaped  with 
his  life  from  the  enemy,  "and  reminds  me  of  an  inci 
dent  that  befell  myself  during  the  Mexican  war,  and 
which,  but  for  'Providence,'  I  might  not  now  have 
the  honor  of  serving  my  country  as  your  'adjutant.' 
God  only  knows  what  would  have  become  of  you 
if  such  an  event  had  occured  at  this  interesting 
period  of  my  life ;  but  as  I  see  a  look  of  incredulity 
flit  across  the  younger  portion  of  this  otherwise 
respectable  assemblage  I  will  proceed  to  my  story. 

"When  the  war  broke  out  in  Mexico  I  was  a 
student  in  a  Southern  college,  and  not  yet  sixteen, 


1S8      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

and  the  Southern  heart  was  fired  to  such  an  extent 
that  studies  were  out  of  the  question  and  breaches  of 
discipline  the  rule,  and  which  resulted  in  the  scaling 
of  the  college  walls  and  the  embarkation  for  our 
homes  by  twenty-four  youths  to  fame  and  fortune 
quite  unknown. 

"Deemed  too  young  by  my  friends  to  enlist 
a  place  was  obtained  for  rne  as  a  clerk  in  a  sutler's 
store.  One  evening  while  strolling  about  through 
the  city  I  met  with  a  friend  who  requested  me  to 
accompany  him  to  a  'fandango, 'or  dance  house, 
"which  was  situate  beyond  the  barricade,  outside  the 
city,  and  which  was  kept  by  an  old  woman,  whom 
the  soldiers  nicknamed  'Mother  Broadhorn'  because 
of  her  immense  size  and  weight. 

"This  house  was  famous  for  games  of  chance 
(such  as  'monte,'  faro,  etc.),  as  well  as  the  terpsich- 
orean  art,  and  to  those  who  were  willing  to  run  the 
gauntlet  a  considerable  fun  could  be  procured  at 
little  or  no  expense;  but  the  Mexicans  at  that  time 
were  so  treacherous  and  blood  thirsty  that  it  was 
dangerous  for  an  American  or  soldier  to  venture  out 
after  dark,  ?.*id  so  I  protested  against  my  friend's  in 
vitation,  as  my  arms  were  at  the  store  and  it  was  not 
safe  to  go  without  them,  but  he  promised  me  faith 
fully  to  see  me  home  at  any  time  I  might  desire ;  so, 
yielding  to  his  solicitations,  I  consented,  and  we 
were  soon  admitted  to  'Mother  Broadhorn's  abode, 
where  my  friend  was  soon  immersed  in  the  fascinat 
ing  game  of  chance.  After  strolling  about  and 
watching  the  dancers,  I  returned  to  the  room  where 
my  friend  was  playing  I  was  induced  to  take  a  hand 
also,  when  I  won  $100  in  gold  pieces,  and  as  I  arose 
from  the  table  I  beheld  two  villainous-looking  Mexi 
cans  watching  me.  A  feeling  of  uneasiness  came 
over  me,  and  I  hastened  to  my  friend  and  begged 
him  to  accompany  me  home,  telling  him  that  it  was 
late  and  I  was  unarmed,  but  he  would  not  leave,  so 


INCIDENTS   OF   Till']    MEXICAN   WAR.       1ST 

I  concluded  to  run  the  risk  alone,  and  as  I  opened 
the  outer  door  the  faces  of  the  two  Mexicans 
flashed  upon  me,  and  I  was  conscious  that  I  was  be 
ing  watched,  and  hurried  out  into  the  darkness. 
But  I  had  not  gone  far  ere  I  found  I  was  followed, 
and  hastened  my  footsteps,  but  saw  that  the  Mexi 
cans  were  gaining  on  me,  when  I  begun  to  count  the 
distance  between  the  barrier.  One,  two,  three,  four, 
five,  six,  the  barriers  gained  and  I  should  be  saved, 
when  a  hand  was  laid  upon  my  shoulder,  which  drew 
from  me  one  long,  sharp  cry  of  pain,  and  I  was 
thrown  to  the  ground  while  the  two  Mexicans  were 
astride  of  my  body,  and  in  their  uplifted  hands  a 
gleaming  knife.  With  a  cry  of  murder !  help. !  and 
a  hasty  'God  help  me !'  I  closed  my  eyes  and  could 
in  imagination  feel  the  murderous  knife,  when  a 
shot  was  fired  and  the  Mexicans  relaxed  their  hold, 
while  their  brains  bespattered  my  face,  and  a  cheery 
voice  was  heard,  saying,  'Well !  stranger ;  are  you 
clone  for  ?'  and  who  proved  to  be  two  Kentucky  cav 
alry  men  who  were  on  their  way  to  the  barrier  and 
who  had  arrived  on  the  scene  just  in  time  to  hear 
my  cry  and  v/ith  the  above  result.  Rising  to  my  feet 
and  assuring  myself  that  I  was  not  hurt,  I  thanked 
my  kind  preservers,  who  saw  me  safely  home.  In 
conclusion,  gentlemen,  I  will  say  that  this  was  my 
first  and  last  game  of  chance,  and  that  before  the 
war  ended  I  was  enrolled  in  my  country's  service 
for  the  term  of  the  war." 

NATHAN  H.  ROBBINS, 
Adjutant  Eleventh   Pa.   Vol.   Cavalry. 


Taking  of  the  Belen  Gate. 
September,  13,  1847. 

(The  Tacubaya  causeway,  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  in  length,  was  the  direct  road  from  Chapultepec 


188       INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

to  the  City  of  Mexico.  It  was  fringed  with  trees 
and  on  each  side  were  marshy  grounds  and  deep 
ditches.  Along  the  center  of  the  causeway  ran  an 
aqueduct  raised  on  massive  stone  arches,  conveying 
water  from  the  hill  of  Chapultepec.  The  Garita 
Belen  was  an  immense  gate,  defended  on  one  side 
by  a  parapet  and  ditches,  and  on  the  other  by  a  zig 
zag  redan.  It  was  also  commanded  by  guns  from 
the  Paseo,  the  Citadel,  and  a  battery  at  the  entrance 
of  a  street.  On  the  causeway,  to  the  left,  was  pos 
ted  a  battery  of  four  guns,  and  beyond  this,  on  the 
right,  was  the  fortified  village  of  Romita.  All  these 
works  swarmed  with  troops.-  General  Quitman, 
who  was  posted  here  on  the  I3th  of  September, 
1847,  na<l  received  discretionary  orders  to  advance 
upon  the  city  by  this  route  after  the  taking  of  Chap 
ultepec,  and  it  was  known  that  there  would  be  hot 
work  where  he  commanded.  The  order  was  pass 
ed,  "Quitman's  division  to  the  city!"  and  down  the 
slope  of  hill,  out  of  the  smoke  and  dust  of  Chapul 
tepec,  his  troops  poured  on.  Their  advance  was 
fiercely  resisted.  The  trees  on  each  side  were  shiv 
ered  with  balls ;  huge  pieces  of  stone  broken  from 
the  angles  of  masonry  were  dashed  down  upon  the 
advancing  columns.  The  arches  of  the  acqueduct 
afforded  the  only  shelter  from  the  fiery  hail.  By 
keeping  under  cover  of  these  arches,  and  springing 
from  one  to  the  other,  the  assailants,  aided  by 
Drum's  howitzers,  succeeded  in  silencing  the  inter 
mediate  battery,  over  which  poured  the  column, 
headed  by  Smith's  Rifles  and  the  Palmetto  Regi 
ment.  Now  all  the  batteries  opened  fire  at  once, 
sweeping  down  whole  ranks,  while  a  sharp  flank  fire 
from  Romita  proclaims  that  the  storm  has  shifted, 
and  is  bursting  forth  from  a  new  direction.  The 
assailing  column  sorely  thinned,  wavers.  The  crisis 
of  the  day  is  approaching,  when  the  rumbling  of 
Drum's  artillery  is  heard.  A  few  discharges  sends 


The  above  is  a  photograph  of  the  old  Spanish  flag  cap 
tured  at  the  National  Palace,  Mexico,  at  the  time  of  General 
Scott's  occupation  in  1847.  It  is  said  to  he  the  flag  carried 
by  Cortex  in  his  invasion  of  Mexico  in  1519.  The  gentleman 
above  on  the  left,  is  James  C.  Carleton,  President  of  Mexi 
can  War  Veterans'  Association,  the  other  gentleman  being 
C.  F.  Sargent,  Vice  President. 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       189 

the  Mexicans  flying  from  their  guns,  and  the  Ameri 
cans  stand  before  the  Belen  Gate.  With  a  shout 
and  a  mighty  rush  the  line  dashes  on.  The  differ 
ent  commands  are  mixed  together  in  inextricable 
confusion.  The  foremost  rank  leaps  the  ditch, 
followed  by  their  General.  One  final  volley  is 
given;  the  glim  of  steel  shines  through  the 
smoke;  then  a  short,  sharp,  hand-to-hand  strug 
gle;  and  the  next  moment  a  figure  rises  through 
the  dense  cloud.  It  is  Quitman  waving  a  hander- 
kerchief  as  a  signal  that  the  Belen  Gate  is  won.) 

It  is  an  aged  soldier, 

All  seamed  with  ghastly  scars — 
A  wreck  cast  upon  the  beach  of  peace 

From  the  foaming  surge  of  wars. 
He  is  resting,  in  the  noontide, 

Beneath  a  beechen  tree, 
And  the  village  school-boys   gather   'round 

Or  clamber  on  his  knee; 
For  they  love  the  good  old  soldier 

With  his  tales  of  long  ago, 
Of  the  battles  won  and  the  high  deeds  done 

On  the  plains  of  Mexico. 

"They  tell  me,  boys,  the  moments 

With   doubts   and   fears   are   rife, 
And  patriot  virtues   cannot  thrive 

In  the  air  of  civil  strife. 
But  it  matters  not;   when   danger 

Assails    our   native   land, 
Mark  then  how  quickly  faction  flies, 

And  brave  souls  take  their  stand. 
A   freeman's   hardy   courage 

Needs  but  a  foreign  foe; 
And  so  we  proved  before  the  world 

In  the  war  with  Mexico. 


190      INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN    WAI',. 

They  were     martyrs,  those  who  perished 

For  their  country's  trust  and  fame; 
And  glorious  in  the  after  years 

Shall  be  each   sainted  name. 
They  were  strong  to  toil  and  suffer, 

They  were  strong  to  dare  and  bleed, 
They   were   hearts    sent   forth    from   the   hand   of 
God, 

To  meet  the  time  of  need!" 

The  eldest  of  the  children 

Is  a  noble,   fair-haided  boy 
And  he  drinks  the  word  with  willing  ear 

And  a  kindly  smile  of  joy; 
And  his  little  eyes  are  widened, 

As  at  a  trumpet's  call : 
Now  tell   us   of  the  hottest  fight, 

And  the  bravest   deed   of  all." 


"Ah!"   cried  the  old  man  grimly, 

"We  had   enough  to  do; 
For  ne'er  unstained  with  native  gore 

The  starry  banner  flew; 
But  we  owed  the  most  to  valor, 

And  the  least  to  favoring  fate, 
At  the  taking  of  the  Belen  Pass, 

And  the  storming  of  the  Gate 


"We   had   gone  through   fire  and   labor 

For  many  a  night  and  day. 
From  Palto  Alto's  mournful  field 

To  the  heights  of  Monterey. 
We  paused  at  Buena  Vista, 

Contreras   felt  our  blow, 
And  at  last  we  saw  the  distant  spires 

Of  the  vale  of  Mexico. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR.       11)1 

"Chapultepec   is   taken ! 

Upon  her  ruined  walls 
A  hugh  and   smoky  canopy, 

Like  a  shroud   of  honor   falls. 
The  bee-like  swarms  that  clustered, 

For  life  and  home  to   strive, 
Are  routed  from  their  broken  halls. 
The  guns  that  woke  the  morning 

Are  dumb  beneath  our  tread, 
As  on  we  march,  in  serried  files, 

Though  a  desert  of  the  dead. 

"All  faintly  in  the  distance 

Are   heard   the    foe's    alarms; 
And  hot  and  grimed  with  blood  and  dust, 

We  are  resting  on  our  arms. 
On   every   war-worn   visage, 

Stern   grief   with   triumph   blends : 
For  each  has  sought  among  the  ranks 

And  missed  his  kin  or  friends. 
The  voices  that  were  dearest, 

We  shall  ne'er  hear  them  more; 
Our  butchered  comrades  lie  behind, 

And   Vengeance   stalks   before. 

''Well  may  we  halt  our  column, 

On  the  steep  so  deadly  won; 
Much  has  been  dared,  and  much  is  gained, 

But  more  must  yet  be  done. 
Well  may  we  halt  our  column, 

To  catch  a  moment's  breath; 
For  the  road  in  front  is  leading  o'er 

To  the  very  jaws  of  Death. 

"It  is  a  narrow  causeway 

Accross  the  dark  morass, 
With  heavy  arches  frowning  down 

Upon  the  fearful  pass ; 


192      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

And  at  the  giant  portal 

The  City  takes  her  stand, 
Hurling  defiance  back  upon 

The  invaders  of  the  land. 

"Like  a  grim  and  surly  watch-dog 

Stares   forth  each   deep-mouthed   gun; 
And  plumes  and  helms,  and  burnished  steel 

Are  gleaming  in  the  sun. 
We  have  chased  the  wounded  tigress 

To  the  entrance  of  her  lair; 
And,  mad  to  battle  for  her  young, 

She    turns    upon    us    there. 

"And  loudly  rings  the  war-cry, 

And  wide  the  flags  are  cast, 
And  Mexico  will  make  this  hour 

Her  proudest,  or  her  last; 
For  all  of  savage  valor, 

And  all  of  burning  hate, 
That  have  outlived  the  shocks   of  war, 

Are  at  the  Belen  Gate. 

"He    comes,    our    mighty   leader, 

Along  the  wasted  van ; 
There  is  no  heart  in  all  the  ranks 

That  does  not  love  that  man! 
He  passes  'mid  the  columns ; 

And  it  is  a  glorious  sight 
To  see  him  form  them  for  the  fray, 

But  his  brow  is  dark  as  night 
He  is  thinking  of  his  brave  ones 

Who  sleep  the  eternal  sleep, 
Among  the  slaughtered  enemy, 

On  yonder  bloody  steep. 
He  is  thinking  of  the  succors, 

That  should  have  come  ere  now; 
Such  thoughts  may  dim  the  brightest  eye, 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN    \\All.       193 

And   cloud    the    fairest   brow. 
But  he  gazes  o'er  the  causeway, 

And  he  hears  the  foeman's  cry; 
And  the  old  stern  look  is  on  his  face, 

And  the  fire  is  in  his  eye. 

"Forward!"  and  at  the  signal, 

Beneath  the  General's  glance, 
With  dauntless  mien  and  measured  tread 

The   lengthened   lines   advance. 

"There  comes  a  blaze  of  lightening 

From  gate,   and   wall,   and  spire, 
As  though  the  city  had  put  on 

A  girdle  all  of  fire! 
There  comes  a  burst  of  thunder, 

As   though   the  teeming  earth 
Were  laboring  with  volcanic  throes, 

O'er   some   sulphurous   birth! 
There  comes   a   pattering  shower 

Of  iron   down   the   pass, 
'Neath  which  the  solid  masonry 

Is   chipped   like   broken   glass! 
It  was  as  though  the  Demons 

Had  risen  against  our  plan, 
And  brought  the  guns  of  hell  to  bear 

Upon  the  march  of  men! 

"But  where's  the  invading  army, 

That  stood  so  proudly  there? 
Has  it  all  so  soon  been  swept  away? 

Has  it  melted  in  to  air? 
No:  far  beneath  the  arches, 

At  the  signal  of  command, 
Protected  by  the  friendly  stones, 

Behold  each  little  band. 
But  onward,  ever  onward! 

No  time  to  pause  or  doubt ! 


194      INCIDENTS   OF   THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

The  glancing  shot  that  skip  within 
Bespeaks   the   storm   without. 

We  are  near  upon  our  foemen, 

We  can  count  their  fierce  array, 

The  bayonet  now  must  do  its  part, 
And  end  the  fearful  fray. 

"Charge!"  and  we  break  from  cover, 

With  the  panther's  spring  and  yell ! 
Cannon  and  musket  from  the  gate 

Peal  back  the  challenge  well. 
And  now  a  bullet  strikes  me, 

And  I  stagger  to  my  knee; 
While  past  me  rush,  in  headlong  race, 

The  champions  of  the   free. 
I  rise  and  totter  forward, 

Although   with   failing  breath; 
For  who  would  follow  such  a  chase 

So  far  and  midst  the  death? 
The  smoke  has  covered  all  things 

In  its  darkest  battle-shroud, 
Save  when  your  living  line  of  fire 

Lights   up   the   murky   cloud; 
And  there  our  gallant  fellows 

Are  raging  in  the  strife, 
Before  that  stern   and   dangerous   Gate, 

Whose  toll  is  human  life! 
They  are  chafing  like  the  billows 

Upon  a  midnight  shore, 
With  a  tempest  driving  on  behind, 

And  a  wall  of  rock  before! 

"I  see  our  gallant  chieftain 

In  the  hottest  of  the  fire; 
I  see  our  soldiers  gather  near, 

Like   children    'round   their   sire; 
I  see  him  at  the  portal, 

Still  calling  on  his  men : 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       195 

And  now  the  hot  blood   from  my  wound 
Has  blinded  me  again. 

"I  hear  our  fellows  cheering, 

As  though  to  rend  the  skies; 
And  hastily  I  wipe  away 

The   blood-gouts    from   my   eyes. 
And  I,  too,  stand  uncovered, 

And   shout   with   joy   elate; 
For  the  Stars  and  Stripes  are  waving  high 
Above    the    Belgen    Gate!" 

— Harpers'-  Magazine,    1857. 


196      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


Battle  of  the  Alamo. 

We  publish  the  following  sketch  in  connection 
with  the  song  which  we  find  in  the  United  Service 
Magazine : 

The  famous  struggle  for  the  Alamo  (cotton- 
wood)  of  San  Antonio  is  not  forgotten  by  the  Amer 
ican,  especially  the  Texan-American.  And  are  its 
heroes  remembered  also? 

Colonel  Bowie's  death  was  as  heroic  as  his  life 
had  been  lawless  and  daring.  When  the  war  of 
Texan  independence  broke  out  he  joined  the  patri 
ots  and  became  one  of  their  ablest  leaders.  Retreat 
ing  with  one  hundred  and  eighty  men  before  an 
overwhelming  force  of  Mexicans,  commanded  by 
General  Santa  Anna,  he  made  his  way  to  San  An 
tonio  de  Bexar  and  took  up  a  position  behind  the 
walls  of  the  Alamo,  a  fort  of  considerable  strength 
and  which  commanded  the  city.  The  Mexicans,  five 
thousand  strong,  laid  si-ege  to  the  place,  constructed 
batteries  and  began  to  play  away  against  the  fort, 
while  masses  of  infantry  rushed  forward  to  scale 
the  wall.  Many  a  daring  feat  was  performed  by 
Bowie  and  his  men,  who,  surrounded  on  all  sides, 
neither  thought  of  capitulating  nor  asking  quarter 
in  any  extremity. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       197 

Such  was  the  extent  of  the  fort  that  it  required 
the  incessant  vigilance  of  all  the  besieged  at  the  dif 
ferent  points  of  attack.  There  was  no  time  for  sleep 
ing.  The  night  was  dark,  and  the  exhausted  patri 
ots  sought  to  obtain  a  few  hours'  sleep.  "The  Mexi 
cans  are  upon  the  wall !"  were  the  startling  words 
which  made  every  Texan  spring  to  his  feet  and 
grasp  his  rifle.  The  enemy,  taking  advantage  of  the 
darkness,  had  crept  up  to  the  fort  unperceived  by 
the  drowsy  sentinel,  and  were  in  possession  of  the 
wall.  The  struggle  was  desperate.  The  patriots  had 
no  choice  between  death  and  victory.  Hundreds  of 
the  enemy  were  either  pitched  from  the  wall  or  put 
to  death  by  the  bowie  knife  or  bayonet.  At  last  the 
Mexicans  rushed  forward,  and  surrounding  the  pa 
triots  on  all  sides,  cut  them  to  pieces.  Not  a  man 
escaped. 

On  the  night  of  the  attack,  Colonel  Bowie  was 
confined  to  his  room  by  sickness.  When  the  Mexi 
cans  broke  over  the  wall,  some  of  them  rushed  to 
his  apartment.  He  was  up  in  time  to  take  his  stand 
at  the  door,  and  with  his  terrible  knife  he  for  some 
time  kept  the  enemy  at  bay.  When  his  mighty  arm 
grew  tired  with  the  work  of  death,  he  fell  upon  the 
heaps  of  the  slain  which  he  had  piled  up  around 
him,  and  was  instantly  hacked  and  stabbed  to  death. 

Colonel  Bowie's  second  in  command  at  the 
massacre  of  the  Alamo  was  Colonel  David  Crockett, 
many  of  whose  quaint  sayings  are  household  words 
in  this  country.  As  a  hunter  and  backwoodsman  he 
had  no  equal.  He  served  one  term  in  Congress,  and 
was  a  candidate  for  re-election,  but  was  defeated. 
He  then  emigrated  to  Texas  and  joined  the  pa 
triot  army.  He  escaped  from  the  massacre  of 
Colonel  Fannin's  command,  and  reported  to  Colonel 
Bowie  for  orders.  He  was  with  the  little  army  dur 
ing  the  retreat  to  San  Antonio,  and  with  it  entered 
the  Alamo,  which  became  the  grave  of  the  entire 


108      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

command.  The  only  persons  in  the  fort  who  es 
caped  were  a  servant  woman  and  her  child,  which 
was  aftenvard  adopted  by  the  Republic  of  Texas 
and  educated  at  the  public  cost.  That  Crockett  fell 
when  the  Mexicans  rushed  over  the  wall  is  all  that 
is  known ;  by  whom  or  how,  no  one  was  left  to  tell. 
But  the  imagination  can  well  picture  him  hurling 
whole  squadrons  from  the  wall,  or  heaping  up  pyra 
mids  of  the  slain  where  the  struggle  was  most  des 
perate. 

Another  noted  duelist,  Colonel  Travis,  who  was 
admitted  to  be  the  best  pistol  shot  in  the  United 
States,  also  fell  at  the  massacre  of  the  Alamo,  but 
how  he  met  his  fate  is  unknown.  His  body  was 
found  under  a  heap  of  Mexican  dead,  showing  that 
he  had  fought  with  desperate  courage  until  over 
powered  by  numbers.  Next  day  the  bodies  of  the 
fallen  patriots  were  collected  and  reduced  to  ashes. 

This  wholesale  butchery  sent  a  thrill  of  horror 
throughout  Texas.  General  Sam  Huston  issued 
a  stirring  call  for  volunteers.  He  took  the  field  at 
the  head  of  a  small  but  gallant  army.  Santa  Anna, 
with  a  greatly  superior  force,  marched  against  the 
patriots.  Huston  retreated  to  San  Jacinto,  where 
he  determined  to  make  a  stand.  The  two  armies 
met,  and  victory  declared  for  the  Texans.  Santa 
Anna  was  taken  prisoner.  This  battle  ended  the  war 
and  secured  the  independence  of  Texas. 

The  night  was  starlit,  but  the  clouds 

At  sunset  swept  across  the  sky 
In  fleecy  folds,  like  snowy  shrouds 

Ready  for  men  who  soon  must  die. 

We  held  the  heights  at  Alamo, 

A  little,  warlike,  Texan  band ;  « 

The  lights  of  San  Antonio 

Around  us  lay  upon  the  land. 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE   MEXICAN    WAR.       190 

The  army  of  the  Mexican 

Was  in  the  field  not  far  away — 
Where  Rio  Grande's  waters  ran — 
And  might  attack  us  any  day. 

They  stole  upon  us,  scores  to  one, 
Their  Spanish  faces  grim  and  swart, 

As  sent  the  sentry's  signal  gun 
A  bullet  through  a  hostile  heart. 

The  Texans  flew  at  once  to  arms, 
Our  souls  afire  to  stem  the  foe ; 

While  on  the  walls  they  swung  in  swarms, 
Each  shot  a  sign  for  blood  to  flow. 

Brave  Bowie  from  his  sick-cot  sprang; 

"Steady,  boys  !  steady !"  were  his  words  ; 
The  rattle  of  our  Springfields  rang, 

As  flashed  our  newly  crimsoned  swords. 

Bold  Crockett  kept  them  well  aloof, 
In  terror  of  his  good  right  hand 

That  flung  them  from  the  gory  roof, 
While  we  the  bristling  turrets  manned. 

The  gallant  Travis  drove  them  back 
Or  broke  their  ranks  as  on  they  fought, 

To  drum-roll  of  the  musket's  crack 
And  outcries  of  the  deadly  sport. 

And  Santa  Anna  at  their  front 

Swore  many  a  soldier-oath  that  night, 

To  see  our  heroes  breast  the  brunt 
And  make  his  men  the  red  dust  bite. 

Of  all  the  patriots,  not  a  lad 
Who  bled  at  San  Antonio  town 


200       INCIDENTS   OF  THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Gave  up  the  battle,  till  he  had 

Got  many  a  wound  to  bring  him  down. 

But  Bowie,  Crockett,  Travis,  fell 

Where  ball  and  bayonet  laid  them  low; 

And  not  a  Texan  lived  to  tell 
The  tragic  fate  of  Alamo. 

The  night  was  starless,  for  the  clouds 
At  midnight  draped  the  mournful  sky, 

And  warriors  slept  without  their  shrouds, 
In  the  death  that  brave  men  love  to  die. 
David  Graham  Adee. 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      201 


Reminiscences  by  Indianian. 


Portland,  Ore.,  July  14,  1884. 

The  letter  of  Comrade  Rufus  Sumerlin  in  May 
brings  to  mind  old  reminiscences  of  that  long-ago 
perilous  time  when  I  was  a  boy  soldier  in  the  in 
vading  army  of  Mexico.  I  belonged  to  Company 
E,  Fourth  Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteers,  General 
Joe  Lane's  brigade.  Willis  A.  Gorman  was  colonel 
of  the  regiment,  John  W.  Crooks  was  captain  of 
the  company,  C.  C.  Graham  first  and  John  F.  Brit- 
ton  second  lieutenants.  We  were  performing  a 
forced  march  from  Vera  Cruz  to  reinforce  our  army 
at  the  City  of  Mexico. 

Let  me  take  up  the  train  of  thought  suggested 
by  Mr.  Sumerlin  in  his  article  of  March  30.  I  see 
the  scene  now  as  I  did  on  that  memorable  morning 
alluded  to  by  your  correspondent :  As  we  passed 
over  the  hill  some  miles  distant  from  the  city,  Pueb- 
la  lay  bathed  in  the  bright  sunlight  (for  it  was  yet 
before  noon),  the  tall  spires  of  the  churches  here 
and  there  shooting  toward  the  sky,  and  the  smoke 
from  occasional  volleys  of  musketry  and  from  the 
thundering  boom  of  the  enemy's  cannon  seemed, 
from  our  position,  to  float  lazily  around  the  church 


202      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

steeples  for  a  while  and  then  to  drag  itself  into  long 
cirrostrata  forms  toward  Popocatepetl,  and  grad 
ually  to  disappear  in  the  distance.  The  landscape 
was  lovely,  a  perfect  picture,  rolling  hills  and  inter 
vening  valleys,  beautified  by  haciendas,  with  orange 
and  lime  trees  here  and  there,  and  fields  of  waving 
corn  just  on  the  verge  of  ripening,  while  beyond 
the  great  peaks  of  the  Cordilleras  arose  so  high 
above  the  surrounding  country  that  the  summits 
were  covered  with  perpetual  snow.  Upon  the  right 
hand  of  the  city,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  that  beau 
tiful  stream  whose  waters  sparkle  like  glass  as  they 
ripple  along  from  regions  of  snow  to  tropical  vales, 
standing  upon  an  eminence  commanding  the  beau 
tiful  city,  was  the  fort  (I  forget  the  name)  in  which 
the  gallant  Colonel  Childs  with  his  brave  men  had 
been  shut  up  for  twenty  odd  days  by  General  Santa 
Anna,  with  all  communications  with  the  city  shut 
off,  and  who  were  at  the  time  living  upon  mule  meat 
(and  very  poor,  thin  mules  at  that).  Amid  the 
smoke  that  arose  from  the  cannon  and  musketry 
in  the  fort,  which,  however,  was  but  occasional, 
could  be  distingugished  the  tattered  and  riddled 
flag  of  our  country,  which  had  bidden  defiance  to 
the  enemy  for  more  than  twenty  long  and  weary 
days,  still  proudly  waving  in  the  morning  sun.  And 
as  our  column  filed  over  the  distant  brow  of  the 
hill,  first  Captain  Lewis'  dragoons,  then  our  four 
pieces  of  artillery,  then  the  Fourth  Regiment  of 
Indianians,  then  a  small  detachment  of  regular  in 
fantry,  then  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  then  the 
Fourth  Ohio,  I  was  told  afterward  by  a  soldier  in 
the  fort  that  a  salute  was  fired  by  the  garrison  and 
that  it  was  with  much  difficulty  that  the  men  could 
be  restrained  from  rushing  out  through  the  gates 
to  meet  us.  And  when  we  passed  near  them,  before 
entering  the  city,  though  keeping  up  a  continuous 
fire  and  driving  the  enemy  before  us,  we  took  time 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR,      203 

to  return  the  cheers  of  greeting  from  the  brave  men 
in  the  fort.  And  in  less  than  two  hours  from  the 
time  our  cannon  opened  fire,  and  Captain  Lewis 
made  his  first  grand  dash  into  the  ranks  of  the  en 
emy,  lie  was  flying  before  us  like  the  wind,  and  our 
greatest  danger  then  was  from  occasional  shots 
from  windows  or  from  roofs  of  houses.  I  remem 
ber  vividly  the  picture  General  Lane  made  as  he 
rode  by  our  regiment  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  when 
we  came  in  view  of  the  city.  Our  regiment  was 
his  pride  and  was  from  his  own  State,  and  he  was 
personally  acquainted  with  nearly  every  man.  He 
called  us :  "My  boys,  my  boys !"  said  he,  "remem 
ber  your  wives  and  sweethearts  at  home;  there's 
the  enemy  ten  to  one  (pointing  toward  the  city), 
with  us  it  is  death  or  victory."  He  rode  on  and  on 
soldier  who  heard  him  faltered,  each  felt  that  there 
was  no  quarter  to  be  given,  none  asked  for,  and  with 
a  wild  yell  we  charged. 

More  anon.  Oliver  Perry  Mason. 


Remember  the  Alamo. 

The  following  was  the  war  song  of  the  Texas 
Rangers,  during  the  war  with  Mexico,  and  by  which 
they  could  always  work  their  grit  up  to  a  fighting 
heat  by  singing  it : 

(Air:   "Scots  wha  ha'e  wi'  Wallace  bled.") 

When  on  the  widespread  battle  plain, 
The  horseman's  hand  can  scarce  restrain 
His  pampered  steed  that  spurns  the  rein, 

Remember  the  Alamo! 

When  sounds  the  thrilling  bugle-blast, 
And  "Charge !"  from  rank  to  rank  is  passed ; 


204      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Then,  as  your  sabre-strokes  fall  fast, 

Remember  the  Alamo ! 

Heed  not  the  Spanish  battle-yell ; 
Let  ev'ry  stroke  ye  give  them  tell, 
And  let  them  fall  as  Crockett  fell — 

Remember  the  Alamo! 

For  ev'ry  round  and  ev'ry  thrust 
On  prisoners  dealt  by  hands  accurst, 
A  Mexican  shall  bite  the  dust — 

Remember  the  Alamo! 

The  cannon's  peal  shall  ring  their  knell, 
Each  volley  sound  a  passing  bell, 
Each  cheer  Columbia's  vengeance  tell — 

Remember  the  Alamo ! 

For  it,  disdaining  flight,  we  stand, 
And  by  the  issue  hand  in  hand, 
Woe  to  each  Mexican  brigand — 

Remember  the  Alamo! 

"Then  "Boot  and  saddle!"  draw  the  sword! 
Unfurl  your  banners  bright  and  broad ! 
And  as  you  smite  the  murderous  horde — 

Remember  the  Alamo! 


Abolition  of  Slavery. 

A  writer  to  the  Vedette,  in  the  January  num 
ber  of  1880,  claims  that  the  war  with  Mexico  was 
the  primal  cause  of  the  abolition  of  African  slavery 
in  the  United  States.  In  the  article  a  representative 
of  Vermont  is  justly  censured  for  his  opposition  to 
the  pension  bill  giving  the  Mexican  war  veterans 
a  pension.  Among  other  things  the  writer  said : 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      205 

Let  us  ask  these  sapient  statesmen  right  here: 
What  did  the  Southern  States  gain  by  the  acquisi 
tion  of  the  vast  territory  to  the  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  that  did  not  add  vastly  more  to  tRe 
wealth  and  political  power  of  the  North?  When 
the  Mexican  war  began,  Texas  was  already  a  State 
in  the  Union.  Hence  every  foot  of  the  960,000 
square  miles,  614,400,000  acres  of  land,  nearly 
enough  to  give  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  in 
the  country  a  farm),  was  and  still  remains  free 
territory,  and  we  have  since  had  six  or  eight  Repub 
lican  party  senators,  representing  (or  pretending 
to  represent)  State?  carved  out  of  that  very  terri 
tory,  and  voting  with  the  howling  dervishes  of  Ver 
mont  against  granting  a  pitiful  stipend  of  eight 
dollars  a  month  to  the  old  veterans  through  whose 
valor  this  immense  domain  was  acquired,  notwith 
standing  the  fact  that  the  people  whom  these  West 
ern  senators  pretended  to  represent  had  earnestly 
besought  them,  through  their  State  Legislatures, 
to  vote  and  use  their  influence  in  favor  of  the 
measure. 

Fortunately  for  the  downtrodden  classes  of  hu 
manity,  the  hisses  from  Vermont  during  the  first 
act  of  the  grand  drama  still  being  performed  by 
this  generation  did  not  amount  to  a  "mess  of  beans," 
so  to  speak.  The  patriotic  people  of  the  country 
allowed  the  army  and  navy  in  Mexico  to  proceed 
in  the  glorious  performance  of  their  duty  until  they 
extended  the  boundaries  of  the  nation  to  the  shores 
of  the  Pacific,  making  it  equal  in  magnitude  to  the 
continent  of  Europe,  and  acquired  the  inexhaustible 
resources  in  gold  and  silver  then  known  to  exist 
and  since  developed,  which  made  the  visionary 
dream  of  the  unpractical  Vermonters  not  only  a 
possibility,  but  a  reality.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
enlargement  of  the  field  of  human  liberty  under  our 
form  of  government,  directly  resulting  from  the 


206       INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

Mexican  war,  the  "slave  power,"  as  the  Vermonters 
called  it  then,  would  have  been  stronger  politically 
today  than  it  ever  was  before  the  war  with'  Mexico, 
and  little  Vermont  would  have  been  more  insignifi 
cant  in  the  sisterhood  of  States. 

But  in  the  very  nature  of  Jjiings  the  consequent 
struggle  to  rid  the  country  of  its  "inherited  evil" 
of  human  slavery  came  in  due  time,  and  the  brave 
men  who,  under  the  inscrutable  guidance  of  Divine 
Providence,  opened  the  road  and  paved  the  way  for 
this  grand  historical  consummation — fighting  side 
by  side,  under  the  same  flag,  on  the  fields  of  Mex 
ico — were  to  some  extent  divided  in  the  second  act 
of  the  drama,  by  influences  they  could  not  control, 
to  lead  the  contending  armies  in  the  Civil  war, 
which  all  wise  men  of  the  North  and  of  the  South 
foresaw  would  result  in  the  abolition  of  negro 
slavery. 

To  bring  about  the  grand  results  achieved  by 
the  war  for  the  whole  country  and  all  mankind,  it 
required  two  parties  to  make  up  the  game,  and  the 
enfranchised  slaves  and  their  pretended  sympathiz 
ers  should  learn  to  take  a  broad,  magnanimous  view 
of  all  the  circumstances  surrounding  the  situation 
at  the  time  hostilities  began.  Jefferson  Davis,  Lee, 
Jackson,  Longstreet,  Bragg,  Beauregard,  Early  and 
and  others  were  eminently  qualified,  it  is  true,  by 
the  lessons  they  learned  in  the  Mexican  war,  to 
organize  and  lead  the  men  of  their  section  in  the 
desperate  and  unequal  contest  in  which  an  unrelent 
ing  destiny  had  precipitated  their  neighbors  and 
friends.  They  conceived  it  to  be  their  solemn  re 
ligious  duty  to  remain  with  their  respective  States 
in  the  unfortunate  contest.  Their  motives  were  as 
holy,  perhaps,  in  the  abstract,  as  those  which  ani 
mated  the  winners. 

Grant,  McClellan,  Sherman,  Thomas,  Hancock, 
Halleck,  Heintzelman,  Bumside,  Morgan,  Meade, 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR.      207 

Hooker,  McDowell,  McReynolds,  Pope,  Logan, 
Denver  and  a  long  list  of  other  generals,  with  hun 
dreds  of  regimental  commanders  who  led  the  North 
ern  host,  were  also  veterans  of  the  Mexican  \var, 
and  were  filled  with  the  same  sense  of  duty  as  the 
others  named  to  remain  true  to  the  section  of  the 
Union  where  their  lot  was  cast. 

But  when  the  former  laid  down  their  arms, 
and  accepted  the  results  of  the  war,  so  far  as  devel 
oped,  the  entente  cordiale  was  exchanged  and  per 
secution  ceased,  so  far  as  the  leading  actors  were 
concerned. 

The  curtain  has  rung  down  on  the  second  act, 
and  the  chief  actors  mingle  together,  awaiting  the 
call  for  the  grand  denouement  yet  to  be  performed. 

The  abolition  of  negro  slavery,  we  contend,  was 
not  only  a  direct  and  inevitable  result  of  the  Mexi- 
can  war.  but  the  disenthralment  of  wage-laborers 
in  the  North  from  the  iron  heel  of  their  despotic 
taskmasters  is  also  within  the  range  of  human  pos- 
sibililty,  if  not  absolutely  impending.  The  labor 
problem,  which  in  all  history  is  the  foundation  of 
social  disturbance,  many  thinking  people  believe  is 
destined  to  be  solved  before  this  generation  passes 
off  the  stage,  and  that  the  workingmen  of  the  Unit 
ed  States  of  America  will  inaugurate  the  grand 
struggle. 


Honoring  Our  Dead  Heroes. 


By  F.  McNerhany. 
Bright   flowers,   sweet   flowers,   we   lovingly   strew 

Where   dreamlcssly  slumber  our  heroic  dead, 
Alike,  though  they  fought  for  the  Stars  in  the  blue 

Or  under  the  Bars  that  were  blazoned  with  red! 

The  sunbeams  that  come  from  their  homes  in  the  sky 


208      INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

Linger  over,  illumine  and  beautify  all, 
While  the  starlight  and  dews  from  the  azure  on  high 
Crown  each,  as  with  diamonds,  where  brightly 
they  fall. 

The  same  zephyrs  sweetly  sing  over  their  graves, 
The  same  gen'rous  Earth  clasps  all  to  her  breast, 

For  they  were  all  soldiers,  and  they  were  all  braves, 
From  North  and  from  South,  from  East  and  from 
West ! 

As  nature  around  these  dead  heroes  of  ours 

Her  mantle  of  beauty  thus  tenderly  throws — 

In  springtime  her  blossoms,  in  summer  her  flowers, 
In  autumn  her  leaves,  and  in  winter  her  snows, 

So  with  bright  garlands,  on  this  cherish'd  day, 
We  decorate  all  the  green  mounds  of  the  brave, 

While  thus  the  dark  memories  of  war  fade  away 
In  the  light  that  streams   down  on   each  rose- 
covered  grave! 
Newport,  Ky.,  May  28,  1881. 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      209 


Adventure  With  Guerrillas. 


By  Captain  E.  M.  Daggett. 
At  the  battle  of  Sequaltesplan  I  was  close  by 
the  side  of  General  Lane.  At  the  edge  of  the  city 
we  found  a  Mexican  officer  coming  out  of  a  house, 
and  our  Mexican  guide  seized  the  officer's  arm  and 
held  it  across  the  pommel  of  his  saddle.  We  went 
into  the  town  on  a  run,  the  officer  dangling  like  a 
wet  blanket,  who  directed  us  to  Jarauta's  headquar 
ters,  where  we  had  the  hottest  part  of  the  fight. 
Jarauta  always  contrived  to  go  to  bed  in  one  place 
and  during  the  night  slip  out  and  rise  in  the  morn 
ing  in  some  other  place.  On  this  occasion  he  had 
retired  in  an  old  church,  but  hearing  the  charge  of 
troopers  approaching,  he  broke  out  in  his  night- 
clothes,  and  (as  I  subsequently  learned  from  an 
other  priest)  took  refuge  in  a  thicket  close  by.  Thus 
the  fighting  Jarauta  became  a  fallen  angel,  or  a 
fallen  saint!  Apropos,  it  is  related  of  this  chief  of 
guerrillas  that  when  he  officiated  in  the  Cathedral 
at  Vera  Cruz,  during  the  celebration  of  mass  one 
morning  the  bishop  became  fretful  and  annoyed  at 
some  awkward  movement  of  his  sub-deacon  (Jarau 
ta)  and  roughly  pushed  him  aside,  which  so  roused 


210      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAK. 

the  ire  of  the  irascible  Jarauta  that  he  knocked  the 
unsaintly  bishop  off  his  pins,  creating  a  decided  sen 
sation  among  the  d,evout  catechumenists  and  neo 
phytes  constituting  the  audience.  The  sergeant-at- 
arms  made  a  break  to  arrest  him,  but  Jarauta  broke 
out  of  a  back  door  and  ran  like  a  frightened  deer 
(his  offense  involving  the  penalty  of  death  and 
damnation,  or  something  worse)  until  he  reached 
the  western  gate  of  the  city,  where  he  unhorsed  the 
first  man  he  met  and  skedaddled  across  the  sand 
hills  to  the  thicket  where  a  noted  band  of  robbers 
were  encamped,  with  whom  he  enrolled  as  member. 
Having  the  advantage  of  knowing  how  to  read, 
write  and  cipher,  his  pals  made  him  their  chief,  and 
subsequently  combining  other  bands  with  his  own, 
he  dignified  them  by  the.  comparatively  respect 
able  name  of  guerrillas,  which  was  a  better 
cloak  for  their  transactions  with  their  countrymen 
than  the  proper  name  of  "robber." 

These  facts  I  gathered  substantially  from  a 
good  priest,  when  I  forced  n:y  IT  en  inside  of  a  cuar- 
tel  which  surrounded  his  church.  This  priest  was 
very  polite  and  kind  to  us  when  he  found  he  could 
not  help  hin^self.  I  gave  him  assurance  that  we  were 
not  robbers  and  would  not  irolest  him,  or  anything 
that  belonged  to  his  quarters,  but  that  I  was  deter 
mined  to  have  shelter  from  the  night's  storm  He 
made  delicious  chocolate  and  invited  me  to  sup  with 
him,  which  courtesy  I  accepted  with  thanks,  and 
was  v/ell  entertained  with  much  that  was  interesting 
about  the  guerrilla  chief.  He  showed  me  the  pallet 
upon  which  Jarauta  lay  concealed  after  the  San 
Carles  fight. 

Hays,  with  eighty-four  Rangers,  had  been 
prowling  through  the  mountains  and  valleys,  mak 
ing  terrible  hard  rides  by  day  and  heavy  marches 
or  runs  by  night,  for  several  consecutive  days,  try 
ing  to  overtake  Jarauta.  We  got  pretty  near  him 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      211 

once,  about  four  miles  distant,  while  going  past  San 
Carlos  to  a  town  about  ten  miles  further  up  the 
mountain,  where  our  Mexican  spies  reported  him  to 
have  been  encamped  at  dark,  and  that  the  inhabi 
tants  were  fixing  up  things  to  give  his  men  a  fan 
dango  that  night.  But  it  was  his  old  trick  over 
again — he  left  the  place  and  went  back  to  San  Car 
los.  Arriving  there,  he  learned  that  we  were  on  the 
road  going  to  the  town  he  had  just  vacated.  So  his 
command  immediately  left  San  Carlos,  scattering 
in  all  directions,  but  he  had  a  rallying  place  some 
three  miles  off  at  a  large  hacienda,  on  reaching 
which  he  made  prisoners  of  all  the  occupants  and 
shut  them  up  to  prevent  any  outside  knowledge  of 
his  whereabouts.  The  Rangers  in  the  meantime, 
learning  his  tactics,  returned  to  San  Carlos  nearly 
on  a  run.  But  our  game  was  gone  from  that  place, 
as  before  stated,  and  being  greatly  fatigued  and 
our  animals  needing  rest,  we  went  into  a  large  cuar- 
tel,  leading  our  horses  through  the  front  door.  We 
felt  perfectly  safe,  having  no  fear  of  an  attack.  But 
Jarauta  that  morning  had  received  a  fresh  batch 
of  recruits  from  Senobia,  which  augmented  his 
force  to  350  men.  He  had  spies  in  the  garb  of  peons 
everywhere,  and  they  reported  to  him  the  small 
number  of  the  Rangers,  comparatively,  and  that 
we  had  all  gone  to  sleep,  with  no  guards  out.  Upon 
this  Jarauta  gave  his  men  a  drink  of  aguardiente 
and  made  a  speech  in  which  he  represented  that 
we  were  all  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  all  of  us 
asleep,  and  succeeded  in  working  up  a  considerable 
degree  of  enthusiasm.  So  they  started  for  San  Car 
los,  these  350  Lanceros,  on  a  run,  with  his  best 
horses  and  bravest  men  leading  the  way.  I  was 
lying  on  a  bench  near  the  ground  and  a  noise  caused 
me  to  wake  up.  I  asked  an  old  woman  what  caused 
the  roaring  sound  that  I  heard,  and  she  quickly  re 
plied  that  it  was  caused  by  our  horses  fighting  in 


212       INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

the  cuartel.  But  I  felt  uneasy  and  went  out  the 
door  and  saw  the  citizens  looking  down  a  street 
and  running  away  in  terror.  I  mounted  a  block 
which  overlooked  the  high  wall  and  saw  the  Lan- 
ceros  coming  down  on  us  under  a  lively  run,  and 
I  ran  in  among  our  men  yelling  like  a  panther  or 
a  Comanche  Indian.  But  our  men  seemed  to  be 
dead  asleep.  So  I  quickly  got  my  two  revolvers, 
bill  did  not  liavr  time  to  buckle  the  belt  before  in 
came  the  guerrilla  chief.  I  shot  him  in  the  wrist 
and  his  sword  fell.  His  lieutenant  then  shot  into 
my  face,  which  powder-burnt  me,  but  I  kept  my 
six-shooter  playing  at  random,  and  got  a  bullet  into 
the  chief's  beefsteak  and  another  ball  into  the  lieu 
tenant's  right  shoulder.  By  this  time  our  men  on 
the  roof  commenced  firing,  and  Jarauta  went  out, 
bleeding  before  and  behind.  The  guerrillas  tried 
to  rally,  but  had  no  leader. 

This  was  my  first  time  when  I  fought  without 
hope.  I  did  not  expect  to  live  but  a  few  moments ; 
and  if  the  feelings  I  experienced  at  that  time  were 
the  feelings  of  bravery,  all  brave  men  are  to  be 
pitied.  I  had  made  up  my  mind,  however,  never  to 
surrender  to  a  Mexican;  I  knew  what  that  invol 
ved.  And  when  that  resolve  came  to  my  mind  I 
determined  to  give  them  a  "coon  fight."  A  coon 
never  surrenders  when  there  is  a  chance  to  run, 
and  there  was  no  chance  for  me.  The  utter  confus 
ion  of  the  rangers  for  the  first  few  moments  of  sur 
prise  cannot  be  described.  But  they  soon  got  to 
work  with  good  natural  grace,  and  the  guerillas 
dispersed  in  every  direction,  and  I  was  truly  glad 
they  did.  Jarauta's  horse  came  back  with  blood 
on  his  neck  and  rump  and  saddle.  The  horses  of 
every  man  whom  we  lifted  out  of  his  saddle  came 
to  us  as  we  were,  for  the  time  being,  the  occupants 
of  his  old  stable  and  quarters.  Well,  we  didn't 
hunt  around  much  for  the  guerillas  immediately 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        213 

after  this  affair,  and  I,  for  one,  was  glad  to  get  on 
the  road  back  to  the  city  of  Mexico.  The  priest 
also  told  me  we  killed  six  and  wounded  fifteen  of 
the  guerillas.  One  thing  that  contributed  to  save 
our  command  in  this  affair  was  the  holy  awe  and 
superstition  entertained  by  the  untutored  greaser 
in  regard  to  the  "revolver."  They  understood  the 
term  to  mean  a  turning  around  and  about — a  cir 
culator  ;  and  were  led  to  believe  the  ball  would  re 
volve  in  all  directions  after  its  victim,  run  around 
trees  and  turn  corners,  go  into  houses  and  climb  up 
stairs,  and  hunt  up  folks  generally.  My  old  friend 
the  priest,  gave  me  more  general  information  than 
all  other  Mexicans  I  ever  came  in  contact  with,  and 
we  became  good  and  fast  friends — at  least  we  both 
pretended  to  be  such.  I  presented  to  him  two  fine 
belt  pistols  and  ammunition.  He  called  on  me  fre 
quently  while  I  was  with  him  to  praise  the  honesty  of 
my  company,  and  declared  that  he  did  not  believe 
a  company  of  Mexicans  could  be  found  who  could 
keep  from  taking  something  if  they  had  as  good 
chance  as  my  men  had. 


Burial  of  a  Volunteer. 
By  Park  Benjamin. 

'Tis  eve!  one  brightly  beaming  star 
Shines  from  the  eastern  heavens  afar, 
To  light  the  footsteps  of  the  brave, 
Slow  marching  to  a  comrade's  grave. 

The  northern  wind  has  sunk  to  sleep, 
The  sweet  south  breathes,  as,  low  and  deep, 
The  martial  clang  is  heard,  the  tread 
Of  those  who  bear  the  silent  dead. 


214      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

And  whose  the  form,  all  stark  and  cold, 
Thus  ready  for  the  loosened  mold — 
Thus  stretched  upon  so  rude  a  bier? 
Thine,  soldier,  thine — the  volunteer ! 

Poor  volunteer !  the  shot,  the  blow, 
Or  fell  disease  hath  laid  him  low — 
And  few  his  early  loss  deplore — 
His  battle  done,  his  journey  o'er. 

Alas !  no  fond  wife's  arms  caressed, 
His  cheeks  no  tender  mother  pressed, 
No  pitying  soul  was  by  his  side, 
As,  lonely  in  his  tent,  he  died. 

He  died — the  volunteer — at  noon  ; 
At  evening  came  the  small  platoon; 
And  soon  they'll  leave  him  to  his  rest, 
With  sods  upon  his  manly  breast. 

Hark  to  their  fire!  his  only  knell, 
More  solemn  than  the  passing  bell; 
For,  ah !  it  tells  a  spirit  flown 
Without  a  prayer  or  sigh — alone! 

His  deeds  and  fate  shall  fade  away, 
Forgotten  since  his  dying  day ; 
And  never  on  the  roll  of  fame 
Shall  be  inscribed  his  humble  name. 

Alas !  like  him,  how  many  more 
Lie  cold  on  Rio  Grande's  shore ; 
How  many  green,  unnoted  graves 
Are  bordered  by  those  turbid  waves. 

Sleep,  soldier,  sleep — from  sorrow  free, 
And  sin  and  strife — 'tis  well  with  thee — 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      215 

Tis  well;  though  not  a  single  tear 
Laments  the  buried  volunteer. 

—New  Orleans  Delta,  Feb.  13,  1848. 


TRIBUTE  TO  COL.  SCOTT. 

The  following  tribute  to  a  great  and  good  man 
we  take  from  a  copy  of  the  "Vedette."  It  gives  us 
pleasure  to  be  able  to  thus  perpetuate  the  memory 
of  one  so  worthy  as  was  this  great  railroad  mag 
nate,  whose  kindness  to  the  old  veterans  shows  that 
his  heart  was  in  the  right  place.  Although  the  inci 
dents  referred  to  happened  some  years  ago,  its 
memory  is  still  green  in  the  breasts  of  recipitants  of 
his  favor  on  the  occasion  mentioned : 

Comrade  Ernest  C.  C.  Dreysse,  formerly  of  the 
Mountain  Howitzer  Battery,  writes  from  Liberty 
Hill,  Texas,  as  follows : 

"With  much  regret  I  learn  the  death  of  Colonel 
Thomas  A.  Scott,  late  president  of  the  Texas  Paci 
fic  and  Pennsylvania  railroad.  His  magnificent 
generosity  and  courtesy  to  the  Texas  veterans  of 
Mexico  in  extending  a  free  pass  to  the  Centennial 
Exhibition  and  return  in  1876,  is  still  gratefully  re 
membered,  and  by  none  more  than  the  writer.  May 
St.  Peter  grant  our  generous  friend  a  free  pass 
through  the  gates  of  heaven !  God  bless  him ! 
Who  of  the  great  railroad  magnates  will  imitate 
his  noble  example,  and  give  us  poor  old  vets,  a  free 
ride  to  our  anniversary  of  the  I4th  of  September 
at  Cincinnati  and  to  the  Yorktown  Centennial,  which 
takes  place  in  October?" 

We  feel  some  pleasure  in  publishing  the  above. 
Through  the  intercession  of  Senator  Maxey,  vice- 
president  of  the  National  Association  of  Veterans 
of  Mexico  for  the  State  of  Texas,  Colonel  Scott 
granted  a  pass  over  the  connections  of  the  Pennsyl- 


216      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

vania  railroad  from  Austin,  Texas,  to  Philadelphia 
and  return,  and  through  some  miscalculation  he  had 
to  pay  out  of  his  own  pocket  a  large  sum  of  money 
to  some  of  the  connecting  lines.  But  he  had  pre 
viously  given  his  word  to  the  secretary  of  the  Na 
tional  Association,  and  did  not  fail  to  keep  his 
promise. 

Colonel  Thomas  Alexander  Scott  died  at  his 
residence,  near  Philadelphia,  on  the  2ist,  ult.,  of 
paralysis,  aged  57  years.  A  full  history  of  his 
eventful  career  should  be  written  for  coming  genera 
tions.  He  commenced  life  a  poor,  friendless  boy — 
worked  for  himself  at  $i  a  week,  and  died  worth 
millions.  He  was  endowed  by  nature  with  an  ex 
traordinary  capacity  and  fitness  for  business  and  its 
rapid  dispatch.  He  transacted  an  almost  incredi- 
able  amount  of  work  with  perfect  ease  and  elastic 
facility.  He  dictated  to  his  stenographer  with 
lightning  rapidity.  He  fell  a  worker  with  harness 
on  his  back. 

No  railroad  manager  in  the  country  has  pos 
sessed  the  exact  amount  of  knowledge  of  that  great 
business  in  all  its  details  as  Colonel  Scott  did.  His 
experience  dates  from  from  extreme  youth,  for  he 
held  a  responsible  position  before  he  was  of  age. 
Last  year  he  resigned  the  presidency  of  the  Penn 
sylvania  Railroad  Company,  in  whose  service  he  had 
labored  for  thirty  years,  and  whose  success  is  due 
to  his  tireless  energy  and  superb  business  tact. 
When  he  retired  from  the  high  office  of  president  of 
the  railroad,  the  company  owned  about  8,000  miles 
of  road,  with  a  capital  of  over  $350,000,000.  Col. 
Scott  was  president  of  the  road  through  a  very  try 
ing  financial  period,  but  he  commanded  the  situation 
and  won  general  admiration  by  his  indomitable  pluck 
and  energy.  His  last  years  were  devoted  to  his 
favorite  project  of  securing  the  construction  of  an- 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      217 

other   trans-continental   railroad,   and   that   road   is 
approaching  completion  today. 

During  his  intense  active  life  Colonel  Scott 
endeared  himself  to  thousands  by  his  numerous 
benefactions,  and  it  was  only  a  few  months  ago 
that  he  gave  away  several  hundred  thousand  dollars 
to  various  benevolent  and  literary  institutions. 


A  GENERAL'S  POVERTY. 

The  following  letter  was  received  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Association  of  the  Veterans  of  the  Mexican 
War,  held  at  Indianapolis,  Jan.  8,  1880.  The  let 
ter  explains  itself  and  needs  no  comment.  Its  from 
the  pen  of  the  gallant  old  chieftain,  Major  General 
Joseph  Lane,  of  Oregon,  who  commanded  a  brigade 
chiefly  composed  of  Indiana  volunteers  in  the  Mexi 
can  war: 

Roseburg,   Ore.,  December   i6th,   1879. 

Gentlemen :  I  have  the  pleasure  to  acknowl 
edge  the  receipt  of  your  card,  inviting  me  to  at 
tend  a  meeting  of  the  Association  of  the  Veterans 
of  the  Mexican  War  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  to  be 
held  at  the  city  of  Indianapolis,  on  Thursday,  Janu 
ary  8th,  1880,  and  to  bring  any  veteran  I  may  know. 
I  thank  you  for  the  kind  invitation  you  have  been 
pleased  to  send  me  and  other  veterans  of  my  ac 
quaintance.  There  are  but  few  of  us  in  this  State, 
and  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  they  are  old,  infirm 
and  very  poor.  I  am  unable  to  accept  your  invita 
tion,  and  I  deeply  regret  it,  for  I  well  know  that 
there  will  not  upon  any  other  occasion  be  as  many  of 
the  old  veterans  together  as  will  meet  on  the 
forthcoming  occasion,  and  yet  I  am  compelled  to 
forego  this  last  opportunity  I  shall  have  of  meet 
ing  my  old  campanions-in-arms,  to  whom  I  am 
strongly  attached.  I  witnessed  their  good  and  soldier 


218      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

like  bearing  under  all  circumstances,  and  especially 
their  gallant  conduct  upon  many  a  battle  field,  and 
the  gratification  it  would  afford  me  to  meet  them 
again  in  life  would  be  greater  and  above  any  other 
earthly  pleasure  that  could  be  conferred  upon  me, 
but  I  cannot  meet  you  or  them.  I  have  not  the 
money  to  bring  me  to  Indianapolis  and  back  to  my 
home.  I  have  little  hope  of  congress  allowing  me 
a  pension.  We  seem  to  be  ignored,  although  our 
services  secured  our  great  country  all  of  California, 
Nevada,  Utah  and  New  Mexico,  an  empire  of  its- 
itself,  and,  to  our  country,  worth  more  than  money. 
And  yet  the  remaining  few  of  can  hardly  expect  a 
pension.  Well,  my  friends,  we  will  not  very  long 
need  that  little  that  is  so  justly  due  from  our  Gov 
ernment.  We  served  her  faithfully,  honestly,  intel 
ligently,  and  gallantly,  and  under  all  circumstances 
did  our  duty,  and  if  Congress  will  not  recognize  us 
we  must  do  as  best  we  can  without  its  aid. 

My  dear  sirs,  you  will  please  accept  my  kindest 
wishes  and  honest  prayers  for  the  health,  prosperity 
and  contentment  of  yourselves,  the  association,  and 
all  old  veterans  of  the  Mexican  War.  I  am  with 
much  respect,  your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

JOSEPH  LANE. 


GENERAL  LANE'S  MISTAKE 


(By  David  Wooster,  M.  D.) 

In  January  1848,  Col.  Jack  Hays  was  ordered 
by  General  Scott  to  pursue  Santa  Anna  toward  the 
cost  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  by  way  of  Peubla,  and 
thence  toward  Oaxaca,  and  to  capture  him  if  pos 
sible.  Col.  Hays  arriving  at  Peubla  from  the  City 
of  Mexico,  invited  Gen.  Joseph  Lane  (afterward 
candidate  for  President,  and  nominee  for  the  vice- 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      219 

presidency),  his  particular  friend,  to  accompany  him 
on  the  expedition. 

I  am  not  certain  whether  the  march  to  Tehua- 
can,  the  first  object  point,  occupied  two  nights  or 
three,  but  my  impression  is  that  we  were  three 
nights  out  as  the  distance  was  nearly  one  hundred 
miles  by  the  route  we  took.  The  whole  day  of  the 
22nd  of  January  was  passed  in  an  adobe  hacienda. 
No  one  was  allowed  outside  the  gate  of  the  sur 
rounding  walls  during  the  daylight  and  all  comers 
were  admitted  and  detained  until  the  last  trooper 
left  the  gate — long  after  the  head  of  the  column  was 
out  of  sight.  When  some  miles  from  the  hacienda 
on  the  night  of  tiic  22nd,  while  we  were  moving 
with  as  little  noise  as  possible,  we  met  a  pretentious 
carriage  drawn  by  four  mules  in  fine  harness,  con 
taining  a  Mexican  gentleman  and  his  attendants. 
Hays  promptly  arrested  him ;  whereupon  he  called 
for  interpreter  and  said  he  had  a  safe-conduct  from 
Gen.  Persifer  F.  Smith,  commanding  the  district, 
permitting  him  to  travel  anywhere  in  the  district 
with  armed  servants,  a  definite  number  understood r 
unmolested  by  American  troops.  A  match  was  struck 
a  candle  lighted,  and  the  safe-conduct  scrutinized. 
It  was  all  correct  and  the  question  arose,  in  a  quite 
informal  and  friendly  manner  between  Lane  and 
Colonel  Hays,  v/hether  the  safe  conduct  should  be 
respected. 

Colonel  Hays  rather  insisted  on  detaining  his 
prisoner,  saying  that  it  could  do  no  harm,  and  he 
would  be  released  in  a  few  hours  at  most,  and  if 
released  he  would  find  some  means  of  warning 
Santa  Anna  of  our  approach  in  time  for  him  to 
escape  with  his  escort,  as  we  had  many  miles  yet 
to  go. 

The  Mexican  acknowledged  he  had  just  came 
from  Santa  Anna  and  that  he  was  lying  in  security 
in  Tehuacan,  some  fifteen  miles  or  more  further  on. 


220      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

All  the  gentlemen — several  of  us  amateurs — 
near  the  general,  composing  his  volunteer  staff, 
murmured  with  the  freedom  of  friendship  among 
ourselves  that  the  prisoner  should  be  detained.  Just 
then,  some  minutes  having  elapsed  in  a  sort  of  a 
familiar  conversation  between  Hays  and  Lane,  the 
latter  spoke  quite  seriously : 

"Do  you  know,  Colonel  Hays,  the  penalty  for 
violating  a  safe-conduct?  It  is  death. 

"That's  all  right,"  responded  Hays;  "I'll  take 
the  chances." 

"I  would  rather  you  would  set  him  at  liberty," 
said  Lane. 

''If  you  order  me  to  do  so,  General,  of  course 
I  will  obey." 

"Well,  then,  if  you  prefer  it  in  that  form,  Col. 
Hays,  I  order  you  to  let  the  Mexican  re-enter  his 
carriage  and  go  undisturbed  on  his  way." 

The  column  moved  to  the  side  of  the  road 
(pursuant  to  the  orders  passed  down  the  line  from 
Hays),  as  well  as  it  could  in  the  dim  starlight. 

This  was  the  great  mistake  of  General  Lane's 
life.  No  sooner  was  the  Mexican  beyond  our  hear 
ing  than  he  detatched  his  fleetest  mule  and  sent  a 
servant  with  orders  to  ride  for  his  life  and  inform 
Santa  Anna  that  he  was  lost  if  he  did  not  immedia 
tely  escape  to  the  mountains. 

Had  the  prisoner  been  detained,  Santa  Anna, 
his  staff,  and  a  portion  of  General  Valencia's  cavalry 
and  many  officers  of  rank  would  have  been  captured, 
thus  would  have  been  achieved  a  splendid  climax 
to  the  glorious  epic  of  the  second  conquest  of  Mexi 
co.  But  fortune  would  not  permit  this  crowning 
triumph  of  the  "Marion  of  the  war."  Lane  was  an 
upright  man  and  the  peer  of  the  bravest.  He  had 
the  honor  of  the  army  and  the  nation  near  and  dear 
to  his  heart.  He  thought  there  was  something  dis 
courteous,  apparent  lacking  in  courage,  and  insub- 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      221 

ordination,  in  even  temporarily  violating  a  safe-con 
duct  which  might  tend  to  bring  the  word  or  guaran 
tee  of  an  American  officer  into  disrespect.  He  risk 
ed  his  last  chance  and  lost.  No  one  was  hurt  by  it 
but  Lane.  The  war  was  not  thereby  prolonged. 
The  army  suffered  nothing  in  loss  of  prestige.  San 
ta  Anna  never  afterward  appeared  in  public  life. 


222      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


The  Man  and  the  Mule. 


(From  the  "Vedette,"  Nov.  5th,  1883. 


The  Mule. 

"Lieut.  W.  A.  Mobbe,  of  the  3rd  artillery,  who 
is  stationed  at  Mt.  Vernon  barracks,  Alabama,  has 
reported  to  the  War  Department  that  he  has  at 
that  post  a  white  mule,  45  years  of  age,  named 
Mexique,  which  had  been  for  many  years  in  the  ser 
vice  of  the  United  States,  but  which  at  last  had  been 
ordered  to  be  sold.  The  officers  of  the  post,  and 
Lieut.  Mobbe,  said  they  desired  permission  to  pur 
chase  the  animal  and  keep  and  care  for  him  at  their 
own  expense.  Maj.  F.  L.  Gunther,  of  the  2nd  ar 
tillery,  to  whom  the  petition  was  referred,  reported 
that  the  mule  was  originaHy  left  at  Key  West  bar- 
ricks  in  1848  by  a  portion  of  the  army  returning 
from  Mexico  at  the  close  of  the  war.  'During  the 
time,'  Maj.  Guenther  says,  'that  I  served  at  Key 
West,  from  1875  to  1880,  the  mule  did  not  miss  a 
day's  work  from  any  cause.  He  is  very  old  and  has 
been  worn  out  by  his  long  service  in  the  Quarter- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       223 

master's  Department.  If  there  is  any  way  of  pro 
viding  for  him,  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  it  done,  as  the 
expense  to  the  Government  would  be  little  or  noth- 
ing."' 

The  petition  went  through  the  regular  chan 
nels  until  it  reached  Quartermaster  General  Hola- 
baird,  who  endorsed  it  as  follows:  "To  promote 
the  sentiment  of  kindness  toward  animals  that  are 
so  intimately  associated  with  man,  it  is  recommended 
in  this  special  case  that  this  mule  be  kept  in  the  de 
partment  and  left  to  the  care  of  those  whose  kindly 
feelings  are  so  deeply  enlisted  in  its  behalf."  Gen. 
Sherman  submitted  the  case  to  the  Secretary  of  War 
with  the  following  report: 

"I  have  seen  that  mule;  and  whether  true  or 
false,  the  soldiers  believe  that  it  was  left  at  the  Big 
Spring,  where  Mt.  Vernon  barracks  now  are,  at 
the  time  General  Jackson's  army  camped  there 
about  i8i9-'20. 

"Tradition  says  it  was  once  a  sorrel,  but  is  is 
white  from  age.  The  Quartermaster's  Department 
will  be  chargeable  with  ingratitude  if  that  mule  is 
sold  or  the  care  or  maintainance  of  it  thrown  on  the 
charitable  officers  of  the  post.  I  advise  that  it  be 
kept  in  the  department,  fed  and  maintained  until 
death.  I  think  the  mule  was  at  Fort  Morgan,  Mo 
bile  Point,  when  I  was  there  in  1842." 

The  Secretary  of  War  thereupon  made  the  fol 
lowing  order: 

"Let  this  mule  be  kept  and  well  cared  for  as 
long  as  he  lives. 


The  Man. 

John  C.  Spinning  served  in  the  6th  U.  S.  In 
fantry,  during  the  Mexican  war,  and  immediately 
after  his  discharge,  in  July,  1848,  reinlisted  in  the 


224      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAK. 

1st  U.  S.  Dragoons,  serving  in  that  regiment  almost 
continuously,  until  April  9,  1881.  He  had  about 
32  years  of  service  on  the  frontiers,  and  through 
the  late  civil  war.  The  life  of  a  trooper  is  not 
"gay  and  festive,"  to  any  measurable  extent,  as 
the  "Vedette"  can  certify  to  by  personal  experience, 
and  we  are  not  sui  prised  that  Spinning,  after  his 
long  spun  term  of  service,  should  tumble  from  his 
horse  into  the  hospital.  The  Post  Surgeon,  doubt 
less  with  a  view  to  economizing  the  appropriations 
for  hospital  expenses,  discharged  the  old  trooper  and 
left  him  to  the  mercy  of  the  Pension  Bureau,  in 
another  department  of  the  Government.  Spinning 
filed  his  application  for  pension  in  May,  1881, 
where  it  has  ever  since  hung  fire,  because  of  some 
petty  informality  in  repairing  replies  to  official  in 
quiries.  The  other  day  we  received  a  letter  from 
Spinning,  dated  at  Walla  Walla,  W.  T.,  in  whir 
he  says : 

"Dear  Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  state  for  tRe 
last  three  months  I  have  been  dependent  on  my 
poor  wife,  (who  is  almost  as  feeble  as  myself), 
for  support,  anxiously  waiting  to  hear  from  my 
pension  case.  I  am  wholly  destitute  of  any  means 
of  support — and  the  winter  coming  on  my  condition 
demands  immediate  attention. 

I   am   sir   very   respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Late  of  Co.  K,   ist  Cav. 


We  would  like  to  have  the  honorable  the 
Secretary  of  War  cut  out  this  statement  of  facts 
and  transmit  it  to  Post  Surgeon  at  Walla  Walla, 
W.  T.,  and  endorse  thereon,  as  he  did  in  the  case  of 
the  worn  out  mule:  "Let  this  soldier  be  kept  and 
well  cared  for  as  long  as  he  lives;"  and  include 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      225 

rations  for  his  faithful  spouse  who  has  cared  for 
him  since  he  was  turned  out  to  die  on  the  gth  of 
April,  1 88 1.  The  Head  of  the  War  Department 
has  no  feather  in  his  hat  that  would  honor  him  more 
than  this  simple  act  of  justice,  and  we  charge  him 
nothing  for  the  suggestion. — Vedette. 


STRONG  DRINK  A  POISON. 


(By  Dr.  S.  Compton  Smith.) 

Dr.  S.  Compton  Smith,  of  the  Texas  Rangers, 
proves  by  cases  that  come  under  his  observation, 
that  alcohol  is  a  remedy  for  the  bite  of  venomous 
serpents,  on  the  principal  of  "simila  similibus 
curantur,"  which  theory,  also,  proves  strong  drink 
to  be  a  poison.  The  learned  physician  tells  of  a 
number  of  cases  which  he  witnessed  among  which 
are  the  following: 

I  state  this  incident  as  illustrating  a  fact  in 
medicine :  that  a  drunken  person  will  bear  with  im 
punity  the  bite  and  sting  of  most  poisonous  rep 
tiles,  which  might  prove  immediately  fatal  to  a 
sober  man. 

As  a  further  corroboration  of  the  above,  I  would 
cite  the  case  of  a  drunken  soldier  in  Florida,  who, 
while  on  a  debauch,  had  staggered  off  outside  of  the 
camp,  and  tumbled  into  a  clump  of  bushes,  and 
was  soon  fast  asleep.  Some  of  his  comrades  were 
sent  out  in  search  of  him,  as  Indians  were  known 
to  be  prowling  in  the  vicinity. 

They  found  him  lying  in  a  drunken  lethargy 
where  he  had  fallen;  the  weather  being  excessive 
ly  warm,  the  soldier  was  clothed  only  in  cotton 
shirt  and  overalls.  The  shirt  had  become  hitched 
up  to  his  shoulders  leaving  the  back  down  to  his 
waist  entirely  naked. 


226      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

When  found,  the  man  was  lying  flat  on  his 
back;  and,  on  raising  him  from  the  ground,  they 
discovered  to  their  horror,  that  he  had  thrown  him 
self  upon  the  opening  of  a  den  of  rattlesnakes. 
He  had  actually  fallen  on  three  of  those  venomous 
reptiles,  which,  struggling  in  vain  to  escape  from 
the  weight  of  the  soldier's  body,  had  literally 
covered  his  back  with  the  punctures  of  their  poison 
fangs. 

Instead  of  taking  the  drunken  man  to  the 
guard  house,  as  was  usual  on  an  occasion  of 
drunkeness,  his  comrades  bore  him  to  the  hospital 
and  reported  his  case  to  the  surgeon :  while  they 
awaited  his  death,  which  no  one  doubted  was  in 
evitable. 

The  next  morning,  however,  to  the  surprise  of 
the  surgeon,  the  man  who  had  slept  off  the  effect 
of  his  debauch,  and  was  still  ignorant  of  what  had 
occurred,  begged  to  be  returned  to  duty.  He  ex 
perienced  no  more  uneasiness  from  the  bites  of  the 
serpents  then  would  naturally  result  from  so  many 
simple  punctures  of  needles. 

The  attention  of  the  medical  officers  was  call 
ed  to  this  fact ;  and  in  a  short  time  alcohol  in  large 
doses  was  resorted  to  in  every  case  of  poisoning 
from  the  bite  or  sting  of  the  venomous  reptiles  and 
insects,  so  common  in  the  swamps  and  everglades  of 
Florida. 

While  on  this  subject,  I  will  relate  several  cases 
that  fell  under  my  own  immediate  observation, 
where  this  remedy  proved  a  complete  antidote  to 
the  sting  of  that  most  disgusting  and  poisonous  of 
all  venomous  reptiles  of  hot  climates — the  tarantula. 

While  stationed  at  Cerralvo,  an  infantry  sol 
dier,  belonging  to  a  fatigue  party,  gathering  wood 
for  fuel,  was  bitten  in  the  wrist  by  one  of  these  fear 
ful  looking  and  vicious  creatures.  He  was  brought 
immediatelv  to  the  hosoital — the  time  between  re- 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      227 

ceiving  the  bite  and  his  arrival  not  exceeding  fifteen 
minutes — yet  the  hand  and  arm  to  the  elbow,  had 
become  black  and  livid  with  ecchymosis  and  having 
the  appearance  of  gangrene.  He  described  the 
agony  he  endured  as  being  most  excruciating. 

I  immediately  directed  my  steward  to  get  the  man 
"dead  drunk"  as  soon  as  possible,  at  the  same  time 
applying  to  the  hand  and  arm  a  poultice  of  charcoal, 
bread  and  yeast,  and  to  keep  the  man  well  wrapped 
up  in  blankets.  He  recovered  without  further 
pain,  and  without  sloughing  of  the  parts  except  in 
immediate  contact  with  the  bite. 

On  an  other  occasion,  at  the  same  post,  an 
Ohioan  received  a  bite  from  a  tarantula,  which  had 
taken  possession  of  his  boots.  The  man  on  drawing 
it  on  was  bitten  in  the  great  toe.  I  heard  him  cry 
out,  and  ran  to  his  tent  in  time  to  kill  the  reptile. 

I  forthwith  prescribed  the  usual  remedy,  and 
the  foot  fomented  in  hot  alcohol.  In  about  two 
hours  the  man  was  under  the  complete  influence  of 
the  liquor,  and  being  wrapped  warmly  in  blankets, 
was  allowed  to  sweat  out  the  alcohol  at  the  surface. 

Again  I  tried  the  same  remedy  for  the  bite  of 
the  tarantula  on  a  Texas  ranger  with  the  like  good 
result. 

In  these  cases  there  remained  but  little  irri 
tation  of  the  nervous  system,  save  what  would  natur 
ally  arise  from  the  excessive  overdosing  of  the 
liquor. 

The  modus  opcrandi  may  probably  be  explain 
ed  in  this  way  :  the  alcohol  is  a  diffusable  stimulant, 
while  the  venom  of  the  reptile  is  a  powerful  sedative. 
They  enter  directly  into  the  circulation  in  their  pure 
and  uncombined  state  of  absorption,  or,  is  some 
times  the  case  of  venom,  by  direct  injection  or 
transfusion  into  the  venous  system  and  coming  in 
contact,  one  poison  neutralizes  the  other;  perhaps 


228      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


upon  the  homoepathic  theory  of  "simila  similibus 
curantur." 


A  Great  Change. 


(By  Col.  W.  B.  Lane,  U.  S.  Army). 


In  1887,  Col.  Lane,  in  speaking  of  his  travels, 
said  in  part : 

"I  have  been  on  the  move  almost  constantly 
for  some  years,  and  last  summer  traveled  over  New 
Mexico  and  a  small  portion  of  Texas  on  the  Rio 
Grande — Elpaso,  &c.  I  took  a  look  from  my  sleep 
ing  car  window  at  some  of  my  old  stations  of 
twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago.  I  think  I  like  the 
view  from  a  railroad  train  much  better  than  I  did 
from  a  pack  train.  What  a  change  in  twenty-five 
years !  Then  we  were  about  a  thousand  miles  from 
the  railroad  and  telegraph  station,  and  now  they 
have  them  everywhere,  and  the  Indians  are  nowhere 
in  particular." 


'Old  Burnsides" 


From   the   Skowhegan    (Me.)    Review. 

They  tell  a  good  story  of  Sergeant  Poine,  of 
the  Eleventh  Maine.  He  was  a  sergeant  in  the 
Mexican  war  under  Burnside,  then  a  lieutenant,  and 
the  two  were  great  chums.  They  did  not  see  each 
other  from  the  close  of  one  war  to  the  opening  of 
the  next,  but  then  they  both  went  to  the  front,  Burn- 
side  as  a  full-fleged  brigadier-general.  When 
Sergeant  Paine  learned  that  he  was  in  his  old 
friend's  command,  he  marched  right  up  to  head 
quarters  and  right  in  the  presence  of  a  group  of 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      229 

staff  officers,  challenged  the  sentinel  with,  "Is  old 
Burnside  here?" 

"What?"  gasped  the  astounded  sentinel. 

"Is  old  Burnside  here?" 

By  this  time  the  general  had  heard  his  voice 
and  came  out  to  see  what  the  excitement  was. 

"How  are  you,  old  Burnside?  Don't  you  re 
member  me?"  said  the  sergeant,  as  he  advanced 
his  hand  with  all  the  familiarity  imaginable.  The 
general  looked  puzzled. 

"Why,  I'm  old  Paine." 

And  then  General  Burnside  knew  him,  and  they 
shook  hands  and  cried  like  babies.  And  as  "Old 
Burnside"  and  "Old  Paine"  talked  over  their  cam 
paign  in  Mexico,  the  officers  stood  around  in  horror- 
stricken  amazement,  for  Paine  called  their  com 
mander  "Old  Burnside"  all  through  the  chat,  "and 
I'll  be  shot  if  I  ever  called  him  anything  else,"  he  told 
the  boys  afterwards. 


Faithful  to   Duty. 


(By  Gen.  M.  L.   Bonham.) 


General  Bonham,  in  telling  the  following 
story,  refers  to  the  time  when  he  was  the  colonel 
of  the  Twelth  U.  S.  Infantry,  in  1847  : 

"\rou  will  remember  the  large  convent  I  occu 
pied  with  my  regiment,  near  the  heart  of  the  city  of 
Mexico.  The  officers  entered,  usually,  through  a 
back  door  at  the  rear.  One  night  I  had  gone  out 
for  the  evening,  forgetting  to  take  the  countersign. 
At  12  o'clock,  (it  was  a  brilliant  moonlight,)  as  I 
approached  the  door,  the  sentinel  challenged.  I  re 
plied  that  I  had  forgotten  to  get  the  countersign. 

He  said,  'You  can't,  then  pass.' 

It  nettled  me,  and   I   replied  a  little  sharply, 


230      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

'But  you  know  who  I  am?' 

'Yes,  sir,'  in  a  rather  modified  tone,  'I  do;  but 
your  orders  are  that  no  one  can  pass  in  at  this  door 
without  the  countersign.' 

I  touched  my  hat  to  him  and  replied,  'You  are 
right ;'  and  am  not  sure  but  I  added,  'and  have  done 
your  duty.' 

I  walked  around  the  square  and  went  through 
the  guard  house.  Next  morning  I  sent  directions  to 
his  captain :  'compliment  the  sentry  for  the  perfor 
mance  of  his  duty." 


STORMING  CHAPULTEPEC. 


(By  Captain  Mayne  Reid.) 
The  famous  novelcst  and  brave,  Irish  soldier, 
writes  of  the  storming  of  Chapultepec,  on  the  morn 
ing  of  September  13,  1847,  as  follows: 

On  the  day  when  Chapultepec  was  stormed 
(Sepetember  I3th,  1847),  I  was  ln  command  of  the 
grenadier  company  of  the  Second  New  York  Volun 
teers — my  own — and  a  detatchment  of  United  States 
marines,  acting  with  us  as  infantry,  my  orders  being 
to  stay  by  and  guard  a  battery  we  built  on  the 
southern  side  of  the  castle  during  the  night  of  the 
nth,  and  which  did  good  work  on  the  I2th.  It  was 
about  1,000  yards  from  and  directly  in  front  of  the 
castle's  main  gate,  through  which  our  shot  went 
crashing  all  that  day.  The  final  assault  had  been 
fixed  for  the  morning  of  the  I3th,  a  storming  party 
of  500  men,  of  "forlorn  hope,"  as  it  was  called,  had 
volunteered  for  this  dangerous  duty.  They  were 
not  exclusively  regulars,  as  the  letter-writer  asserts, 
but  of  all  arms  of  the  service,  a  captain  of  regular 
infantry  having  charge  of  them,  with  a  lieutenant  of 
Pennsylvania  volunteers  as  his  second  in  command. 
At  an  early  hour  the  three  divisions  of  the  army, 
Worth's,  Pillow's  and  Quitman's,  closed  in  upon 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      231 

Chapultepec,  our  skirmishers  driving  the  enemy's 
outposts  before  them — some  of  these  retreating  up 
the  hill  and  into  the  castle,  and  others  passing  around 
it  and  on  in  the  direction  of  the  city.  It  was  now 
expected  that  our  storming  party  would  do  the  work 
assigned  to  it,  and  for  which  it  had  volunteered. 
Standing  by  our  battery,  at  this  time  necessarily 
silent,  with  the  artillery  and  engineer  officers  in 
charge  of  it — Lieutenants  Huger  and  Hagner — we 
three  watched  the  advance  of  the  attacking  line,  the 
puffs  of  smoke  from  musketry  and  rifles  indicated 
the  exact  point  to  which  it  had  reached.  Anxiously 
we  watched  it,  I  need  not  say  or  add  that  our  anx 
iety  became  apprehensive  when  we  saw  that  about 
half  way  up  the  slope  there  was  a  halt — something 
impeding  its  forward  movement. 

Now,  sir,  for  the  motive  that  led  me  to  act  as 
I  did,  and  which  the  newspaper  correspondent  has 
so  misconstrued.  I  knew  that  if  Chapultepec  was 
not  taken  neither  would  the  city  be,  and,  failing  in 
this,  not  a  man  of  us  might  ever  leave  the  Valley  of 
Mexico  alive.  Worth's  injudicious  attempts  up 
on  the  entrenchements  of  Molina  del  Rey — to  give 
it  no  harsher  name — our  first  retreat  during  the 
campaign — had  greatly  demoralized  our  men,  while 
reversely  affecting  the  Mexicans,  inspiring  the  lat 
ter  with  a  courage  they  had  never  felt  before.  And 
there  were  30,000  soldiers  of  them  to  our  10,000 — 
three  to  one,  to  say  nothing  of  a  host  of  rancheroes 
in  the  country  around  and  leperos  in  the  city,  all 
exasperated  against  us,  the  invaders.  We  had  be 
come  aware,  moreover,  that  Alvarez,  with  his  spot 
ted  Indians  (Pintos),  had  swung  around  in  our  rear, 
and  held  the  mountain  passess  behind  us,  so  that  re 
treat  upon  Puebla  would  have  been  impossible. 
This  was  not  my  belief  alone,  but  of  every  intelligent 
officer  in  the  army,  the  two  who  stood  beside  me 
feeling  as  sure  of  it  as  myself.  And  this  certainty 


232      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

it  was,  combined  with  the  slow  progress  of  the  at 
tacking  force,  which  determined  me  to  take  part  in 
the  assault — that  and  nothing  else.  As  the  senior 
engineer  officer  outranked  me,  it  was  necessary  to 
have  his  leave  to  forsake  the  battery,  now  needing  n»o 
further  defense.  Leave  was  freely  and  instantly 
given  with  the  words :  "Go,  and  God  be  with  you." 
The  Mexican  flag  was  still  waving  triumph 
antly  over  the  castle,  and  the  line  of  smoke  puffs 
had  not  got  an  inch  nearer.  Nor  was  there  much 
change  in  the  situation  when,  after  a  quick  run 
across  the  intervening  ground  with  my  following  of 
volunteers  and  marines,  we  came  up  with  the  storm 
ing  party  at  halt  and  irregularly  aligned  along  the 
base  of  the  hill.  For  what  reason  they  were  stay 
ing  there  we  knew  not,  though  I  afterwards  heard 
that  it  was  some  trouble  about  scaling  ladders.  I 
did  not  stop  to  inquire,  but,  breaking  through  their 
line  with  my  brave  followers,  pushed  on  up  the 
slope.  Near  its  summit  we  found  a  scattering  of 
soldiers,  some  of  them  in  the  gray  uniform  of  the 
Voltiguer  regiment,  others  Ninth,  Fourteenth,  and 
Fifteenth  Infantrymen.  They  were  the  skirmishers 
who  had  thus  far  cleared  the  way  for  us,  and  far 
ahead  of  the  "forlorn  hope."  But  beyond  lay  the 
real  area  of  danger,  a  sloping  ground  some  forty 
yards  in  width,  between  us  and  the  castle's  outward 
wall — in  short  the  glacis.  It  was  commanded  by 
three  pieces  of  cannon  on  the  parapet,  which  swept 
it  with  grape  and  cannister  as  fast  as  they  could  be 
loaded  and  fired.  There  seemed  no  chance  for  us 
to  advance  further  without  meeting  certain  death ; 
but  it  would  be  death  all  the  same  if  we  did  not,  such 
was  my  thought  and  conviction  at  that  moment. 
Just  as  I  reached  this  point  there  was  a  momentary 
lull,  which  made  it  possible  to  be  heard,  the  words 
I  then  spoke,  or  rather  shouted,  are  remembered  by 
me  as  thoueh  it  were  but  yesterday  :  "Men  !  if  you 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE    MEXICAN    WAR.      233 

don't  take  Chapultepec  the  American  Army  is  lost. 
Let  us  charge  up  to  the  walls !" 

A  voice  answered,  "We'll  charge  if  anyone 
leads  us !"  another  voice  adding :  "Yes,  we're 
ready!" 

At  this  moment  the  three  guns  on  the  parapet 
belched  forth  their  deadly  shower  almost  simul 
taneously.  My  heart  bounded  with  joy  at  hearing 
them  go  off  thus  together.  It  was  our  opportunity, 
and,  quickly  comprehending  it,  I  leaped  over  the 
scarp  which  sheltered  us,  calling  out :  "Come  on ! 
I'll  lead  you !" 

It  did  not  need  looking  back  to  know  that  I 
was  followed.  The  men  I  had  appealed  to  were 
not  the  sort  to  stay  behind,  else  they  would  not  have 
been  there,  and  all  come  after.  When  half  way 
across  the  open  ground  I  saw  the  parapet  crowded 
with  Mexican  artillerists,  in  uniform  of  dark  blue 
with  crimson  facings,  each  musket  in  hand,  and  all 
aiming,  as  I  believed  at  my  own  person.  There  was 
a  reason  for  their  so  concentrating  their  fire  which 
I  need  not  here  enter  into.  The  volley  was  almost 
as  one  sound  and  I  avoided  it  by  throwing  myself 
flat  upon  the  earth,  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  only 
getting  touched  on  one  of  the  fingers,  of  my  sword- 
hand,  another  shot  passing  through  the  loose  cloth 
of  my  overalls.  Instantly  on  my  feet  again,  I  made 
on  to  the  wall,  there  to  get  tumbled  over  by  a  bul 
let  of  an  escopet,  about  an  ounce  in  weight,  that  went 
tearing  through  my  thigh.  But  only  a  few  scattered 
shots  were  fired  afterwards,  the  scaling  ladders  now 
came  up ;  some  score  of  men  went  swarming  over 
the  parapet,  and  Chapultepec  was  oiirs.  My  lieu 
tenant,  Hypolite  Bardonville,  a  young  Frenchman, 
modest  as  brave,  dragged  the  Mexican  flag  down 
from  its  staff.  He  died  some  fourteen  years  ago 
in  the  city  of  New  ifork,  without  any  record  of  the 
deed  or  word  said  about  it — save  in  an  obituary 


234      INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 


penned  by  my  own  hand  in  an  obscure  magazine 
of  which  I  was  the  editor. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAK.      235 


Capture  of  Santa  Anna. 

(As  told  by  his  captor.) 

The  Galveston  News,  commemorating  the  anni- 
versity  of  of  the  natal  day  of  Texas  independance, 
April  21,  1836,  published  a  number  of  historical 
statements,  gathered  from  various  sources,  and  not 
to  be  found  in  the  ordinary  records  of  Texas  history. 
Among  these  is  a  personal  narrative  by  Captain 
James  A.  Sylvester,  who  died  in  New  Orleans,  of 
the  special  incidents  of  the  capture  by  him  of  Gen. 
Santa  Anna,  after  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto.  It  is 
here  presented : 

On  the  morning  of  the  22nd  of  April,  1836, 
news  came  to  camp  that  some  of  our  cavalry  had  sur 
rounded  General  Santa  Anna  and  a  portion  of  his 
officers  in  a  motto  of  timber,  and  called  for  rein 
forcements  in  order  to  capture  them.  Col.  Edw. 
Burleson,  commanding  the  ist  Regiment,  called  for 
volunteers,  when  a  number  of  soldiers  forming  the 
different  commands  immediately  volunteered,  and 
mounting  such  horses  that  were  under  their  control, 
set  out  in  search  of  the  Mexican  chief.  After 
marching  from  the  camp  near  Lynch's  Ferry  to 


236      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Vince's  Bayou,  where  the  bridge  burnt  recently  by 
Deaf  Smith  impeded  our  further  progress,  and,  be 
sides,  not  knowing  where  our  services  were  requir 
ed,  Col.  Burleson  called  a  halt.  Some  of  the  party 
were  anxious  to  proceed  by  fording  or  swimming 
the  bayou,  while  others  thought  it  useless  to  proceed 
further  after  a  ingis  fatuus,  when  Col.  B.  ordered 
myself  to  take  charge  of  such  as  were  disposed  to 
return  to  camp,  and  the  others  proceeded  toward  the 
Brazos  in  search  of  Mexican  soldiers.  The  squad 
under  my  command,  proceeding  back  to  camp,  left 
the  main  road  and  took  down  the  bayou.  We  had 
not  proceeded  far  before  some  of  them  proposed  to 
skirt  the  timber  in  search  of  game.  I  took  the 
straight  direction  promising  to  await  their  arrival  at 
a  certain  point.  Leaving  the  party,  pursuing  my 
course  alone,  I  suddenly  saw  an  object  coming  to 
ward  me  near  a  ravine.  I  immediately  turned  and 
made  an  effort  to  attract  their  attention.  When  I 
looked  for  the  object  again  it  had  vanished.  Riding 
in  the  direction  where  it  was  seen  I  rode  nearly  on 
the  figure  of  something  covered  with  a  Mexican 
blanket,  which  proved  to  be  a  Mexican.  I  ordered 
him  to  get  up,  which  he  did  very  reluctantly,  and  he 
immediately  caught  hold  of  my  hand  and  kissed  it 
several  times,  and  asked  for  General  Houston  and 
inquired  if  he  had  been  killed.  I  replied  that  he 
was  only  slightly  wounded  and  was  in  camp.  I 
then  asked  who  he  was  and  he  replied  that  he  was 
a  common  soldier.  I  remarked  the  fineness  of  his 
shirt,  although  he  tried  to  conceal  it,  and  told  him 
he  was  no  common  soldier ;  if  so  he  must  be  a  thief. 
He  then  stated  that  he  was  an  aid  of  General  Don 
Antonio  Lepoez  de  Santa  Anna.  To  affirm  his 
assertion,  he  drew  from  his  pocket  an  official  note 
from  Gen.  Urea,  dated  on  the  Brazos,  informing 
Santa  Anna  that  he  would  be  able  to  form  a  junc 
tion  at  or  near  Galveston,  and  should  immediately 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      237 

take  up  line  of  march  to  Valasco.  I  was  satisfied  at 
the  time  that  in  his  official  capacity  of  aid  such  a 
paper  might  have  been  retained  by  him.  At  that 
time  a  portion  of  the  squad  came  up,  anxi  as  near  as 
I  can  recollect,  consisted  of  Messrs.  Miles,  Vermilion 
and  Thompson.  The  general  complaining  very 
much  of  fatigue,  asked  to  ride  a  part  of  the  way. 
I  think  Mr.  Miles  proposed  to  dismount  and  walk 
to  a  point  of  timber,  while  we  (with  Santa  Anna 
mounted  on  his  horse)  went  around  the  head  of  the 
ravine.  When  we  again  formed  a  junction,  Mr. 
Miles  requested  him  to  dismount,  but  Santa  Anna 
refused  to  do  so  unless  I  required  it.  I  told  him 
I  had  no  control  over  the  horses  and  that  he  would 
have  to  dismount,  which  he  did  very  reluctantly. 
I  then  took  him  behind  me  and  we  all  proceeded  to 
camp,  where  I  left  him  with  the  camp  guard.  He 
was  immediately  recognized  by  his  own  soldiers, 
who  were  prisoners  in  the  camp,  and  sent  to  General 
Houston's  headquarters.  When  I  returned  to  camp 
(being  sent  for  by  Gen.  Houston)  I  was  ordered  to 
report  to  General  Houston  in  person.  I  proceeded 
to  the  place — a  wide  spreading  oak,  and  on  present 
ing  myself  to  the  general  (Houston),  Gen.  Santa 
Anna  immediately  arose  and  came  forward  and  em 
braced  me,  and  turning  to  General  Houston  and  offi 
cers,  returned  me  thanks  for  my  kindness  and  told 
me  I  was  his  savior. 


(The  following  is  from  a  collection  of  poems 
by  Major  Theo.  J.  Eckerson,  U.  S.  A.'  formerly 
stationed  at  Fort  Adams,  Newport,  R.  I.:) 

In  the  redoubt  at  Monterey, 

Where  many  a  shell  had  burst, 
Our  powder  blackened  fellows  lay, 

September  twenty-first; 


238       INCIDENTS   OF    THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

All  day  the  battle  fierce  had  raged 
Till  this  earth-work  we  won,  , 

And  hundreds  in  the  morn  engaged 
Lay  dead  ere  set  of  sun. 

Night  had  closed  down,  and  now  the  rain, 

In  ceaseless  torrents  fell, 
While  from  the  Black  Fort  mortar  train 

Screeched  now  and  then  a  shell, 
Which,  circling  o'er  the  city's  length 

In  meteoric  sport, 
Would  plunge  at  last,  and  spend  its  strength 

In  the  ditches  of  our  fort. 

Our  war-worn  boys  were  scattered  round, 

Some  on  the  ramparts  lay, 
While  'neath  the  guns,  on  the  wet  ground, 

Some  tired  ones  snored  away; 
Others  more  wakeful  than  the  rest, 

Ope'd  now  and  then  an  eye 
To  watch  the  shells,  which  from  the  west, 

Trailed  out  across  the  sky. 

My  tour  on  post  at  two  expired, 

To  be  resumed  at  six, 
And  hungry,  wet,  and  very  tired 

(A  soldier's  common  fix,) 
Under  a  caisson,  on  the  ground 

I  found  a  muddy  bed, 
And  there  a  sleeping  comrade  found 
With  blanket-covered  head. 

I  nudged  him,  but  he  wakened  not — 
Then  shared  his  blanket  warm — 

I  lay  awake,  and  wrapped  in  thought 
I  quite  forgot  the  storm. 

Poor  boy!  how  soundly,  silently, 

He  slept — how   straight  each  limb! 


INCIDENTS  OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.       239 

Oh  God !  I  thought  how  glad  I'd  be 
If  I  could  sleep  like  him ! 

Day  broke — I  heard  th'  unwelcome  shout, 

The  warning  word,  "Relief !" 
I  siezed  my  musket  and  crawled  out 

At  summons  of  my  chief. 
My  comrade  of  the  cold,  wet  bed. 

No  sign  or  token  gave, 
But  stretched  beneath  the  blanket  laid 

As  quiet  as  the  grave. 

I  pulled  the  blanket  down,  and  lo ! 

A  ghastly,  bleeding  head, 
And  rigid  whitened  features  show 

Too  surely  he  is  dead  ! 
Upon  his  breast  a  paper  shred 

Torn  from  a  note-book  lay! 
On  which  in  pencil  rough  I  read 

These  words,  and  turned  away ! 

"W .  G.  Williams,  Engineer, 
Killed  in  the  final  charge!" 

Thus  had  I  lain  with  the  dead  alone 

Four  hours  in  rain  and  mud, 
'Till  startled  by  the  corporal's  tone 
I  left  that  pool  of  blood ! 

Long  years  have  flown  since  with  the  dead 

I  spent  that  fearful  night, 
And  I  have  marched,  and  fought,  and  bled 

In  many  a  stirring  fight; 
I've  quailed  before  the  leaden  storm, 

But  with  not  half  such  dread 
As  when  unblanketing  the  form 

Of  Captain  Williams,  dead ! 


240      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


COL.  JACK  HAY'S  LOVE  STORY. 


(By   Captain   Frank   Bishop.) 


The  following  incident  gave  Texas  one  of  the 
most  famous  rangers  in  history.  It  is  written  By 
a  gentleman  who  was  given  the  facts  by  Captain 
Bishop,  who  was  the  bosom  friend  of  Hays.  This 
incident  occurred  prior  to  1836,  at  which  time  Hays 
first  went  to  Texas.  Hays  was  born  near  Hermi 
tage,  Old  Hickory's  place,  in  Tennessee,  and  Cap 
tain  Bishop  was  born  and  raised  on  the  adjoining 
farm.  His  father  served  under  Gen.  Coffee,  for 
whom  Jack  Hays  was  partly  named  (John  Coffee 
Hays  was  his  full  name),  and  Frank  Bishop  and 
Jack  Hays  were  boys  together,  sharing  in  the  same 
sport,  attending  the  same  school  in  winter,  hunting 
squirrels,  coons  and  'possums  together,  and  growing 
up  to  manhood  in  close  companionship  and  enter 
taining  for  each  other  the  warmest  friendship,  which 
was  only  broken  by  the  death  of  Colonel  Hays. 

When  Hays  was  about  22  years  old  he  fell  in 
love  with  Miss  Bettie  Donaldson,  the  daughter  of 
a  neighboring  farmer,  and  for  a  time  the  young 
lady  seemed  to  return  his  ardent  attachment.  For 
a  year  or  more  she  received  his  attention  and  plight- 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      241 

ed  her  troth.  Preparations  for  their  marriage  were 
being  made  when  there  appeared  in  the  neighbor 
hood  a  young  man  named  Talbot,  from  Mount 
Vernon,  Ky.,  who  was  reputed  to  be  immensely 
wealthy,  and  who,  besides  being  well  educated,  was 
a  handsome  and  accomplished  gentleman  of  pleasing 
address  and  polished  manners,  well  schooled  in  all 
the  arts  which  go  so  far  in  helping  a  man  to  win  the 
good  opinion  of  the  fair  sex. 

Now,  although  Hays  was  a  handsome  young 
fellow,  and  was  considered  the  best  rider,  the  best 
dancer,  the  best  shot,  among  the  youth  of  the  coun 
try,  Miss  Donaldson  took  great  pleasure  in  showing 
him  that  the  attentions  of  Mr.  Talbot  were  not  dis 
tasteful  to  her — in  fact  that  she  rather  perferred 
them  to  those  of  young  Hays.  Now  Jack  Hays 
was  not  the  man,  even  at  that  early  age,  to  tamely 
submit  to  a  slight  or  a  wrong  from  either  man  or 
woman.  He  was  a  man  of  ardent  temperament, 
and  could  not  brook  the  idea  in  being  second  in 
anything.  As  was  said  of  him  a  good  many  years 
later,  "he  never  failed  a  friend  or  foe,"  and  he  quick 
ly  informed  Miss  Betty  that  he  would  have  no 
double  dealings;  she  must  either  remember  her 
.plighted  word  to  him,  and  cease  to  receive  atten 
tions  from  Mr.  Talbot,  or  she  must  recall  her  vows, 
and  coquette  and  marry  whom  she  pleased.  Miss 
Donaldson  was  a  young  lady  of  spirit,  and  besides 
being  piqued  at  being  taken  to  task  by  her  lover, 
was,  after  the  manner  of  women,  much  taken  with 
the  handsome  face,  fine  words,  and  pleasant  manners 
of  young  Talbot,  and  so  it  only  required  a  few 
moments  and  a  few  sharp  words  to  give  Mr.  Jack 
Hays  his  conge  and  to  announce  her  determination 
of  marrying  Mr.  Talbot. 

Hays  recognized  her  right  to  do  as  she  pleased 
in  this  matter,  and  there  would  have  been  no  trouble 
about  it  had  not  Mr.  Talbot,  elated  by  his  success 


242      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

in  winning  the  affection  of  Hay's  sweatheart  from 
him,  boasted  of  his  conquest  on  every  occasion. 
At  a  party  in  the  neighborhood  shortly  after  the 
rupture  of  the  engagement  between  Hay's  and  Miss 
Donaldson,  Talbot  taunted  Hays  with  his  defeat 
and  the  result  was  Talbot  was  knocked  down  and 
soundly  whipped  by  the  dissappointed  lover,  who, 
though  much  smaller  than  his  successful  rival,  was 
more  than  a  match  for  him  in  agility  and  grit — two 
characteristics  which  afterwards  rendered  him 
famous. 

Smarting  under  his  chastisement,  Talbot  sent 
a  challenge  to  Hays,  which  was,  of  course,  prompt 
ly  accepted,  and  the  preliminaries  of  the  meeting 
were  quickly  arranged.  Hays  selected  rifles  as  the 
weapons,  and  Captain  Frank  Bishop,  my  informant, 
acted  as  his  second. 

The  duel  took  place  at  sunrise  on  a  bright  June 
morning,  and  about  two  miles  from  Hermitage,  in  a 
secluded  spot.  The  distance  was  twenty  paces, 
and  Talbot  was  shot  through  the  heart,  never  speak 
ing  after  the  crack  of  Hay's  rifle,  and  dying  almost 
instantly. 

Hays  and  his  second,  Bishop,  left  the  country 
immediately,  and  after  a  great  deal  of  wandering 
finally  landed  in  New  Orleans,  where  they  remain 
ed  nearly  a  year,  and,  as  Bishop  says,  "had  lots  of 
fun."  They  were  well  supplied  with  money,  and 
they  won  a  great  deal  while  in  the  Crescent  City 
both  at  cards  and  at  horse  racing,  a  penchant  foi 
the  latter  sport  being  always  a  noted  characteristic 
of  Jack  Hays,  though  he  foreswore  cards,  and  it  if 
said  he  was  never  known  to  hazard  a  cent  at  an* 
game  of  cards  during  his  career  in  Texas. 

After  remaining  nearly  a  year  in  New  Orleans 
Hays  and  his  companion  went  home.  Hays  re 
maining  there  a  little  over  a  year,  was  not  indictee 
or  arrested  for  the  killing  of  Talbot.  It  seemed  t< 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.      243 

be  the  impression  of  the  people  of  the  community 
that  he  had  done  the  fair  thing  in  the  matter,  and 
he  was  not  molested.  Captain  Bishop  says  Miss 
Donaldson  and  her  family  made  overtures  to  Hays, 
but  that  the  latter  would  not  hear  of  it,  saying  Miss 
Betty  had  been  the  cause  of  his  killing  a  fellow  man, 
and  that  he  could  never  be  happy  with  her  or  make 
her  happy.  Captain  Bishop  says  Hays  suffered 
keenly  from  remorse  for  the  killing  of  Talbot,  a 
spirit  of  unrest  seemed  to  take  possession  of  him, 
and  he  finally  decided  to  come  to  Texas  and  seek 
in  this  new  country  forgetfulness  of  his  early 
troubles  in  the  home  of  his  youth.  Whether  he 
ever  found  "surcease  of  sorrow"  is  not  known,  but 
that  he  found  adventure  in  plenty  and  that  he  went 
through  enough  to  make  any  one  almost  "cease  to 
remember,"  is  a  matter  of  history.  Certain  is  is, 
that  the  unerring  aim  which  enabled  him  to  kill 
his  first  antagonist  never  failed  him  in  his  hour  of 
need,  and  that  he  sent  many  an  Indian  to  the  happy 
hunting  grounds;  and  many  a  Mexican  went  to 
the  presence  of  his  maker  without  the  benefit  of 
clergy,  when  Jack  Hays  drew  a  bead  on  him,  and 
his  finger  pressed  the  trigger;  though  he  never,  so 
far  as  is  known,  slew  a  man  save  in  fair  and  manly 
battle.  . 

Captain  Bishop,  who  furnished  this  scrap  of 
history  in  the  life  of  Jack  Hays,  came  to  Texas  with 
him,  but  did  not  follow  him  through  his  adventur 
ous  career  in  Texas,  though  he  served  in  Hay's  regi 
ment  during  the  war,  at  the  close  of  which  he  re 
turned  to  his  old  home  in  Tennessee. 


The  Mexicans  Dodge  Bullets. 

Comparisons  are  said  to  be  odius,  but  in  justice 
to  the  remaining  veterans  of  the  Mexican  War,  we 


244      INCIDENTS   OF    THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

feel  inclined  to  publish  the  following,  which  was 
made  by  M.  C.  Bandleman,  who  was  a  veteran  of 
both  the  War  With  Mexico,  and  of  the  Civil  War, 
losing  a  leg  in  the  latter.  Mr.  Bandleman  was  much 
incensed  at  one  of  a  series  of  resolutions  passed  by 
the  Grand  Army,  at  Rock  Island,  111.,  in  1887,  when 
that  body  was  censuring  the  President  for  vetoing 
a  disability  bill.  The  resolution  to  which  the  old 
veteran  of  both  wars  took  offence,  was  as  follows : 

"i.  Because  it  endeavors  to  institute  a  com 
parison  between  wars  which  were  comparatively 
mere  skirmishes  and  the  bloodiest  struggle  the 
world  has  ever  known.  We  will  only  instance  the 
Mexican  War,  where  the  killed  were  five  or  six 
hundred,  and  the  wounded  ten  of  twelve  hundred. 
In  the  war  of  the  rebellion  the  killed  and  wounded 
were  numbered  by  the  hundred  of  thousands." 


In  reply  to  the  above  resolutions,  I  naturally 
wonder  if  the  committee  who  framed  said  resolutions 
were  not  near  relations  of  Tom  Corwin,  of  congress 
notoriety.  I  am  a  soldier  of  the  said  skirmish  war, 
and  also  of  the  late  war,  which,  by  the  resolutions, 
lays  all  other  wars  of  this  nation  in  the  shade  for 
important  results,  the  revolutionary  war  not  excep- 
ted.  My  brothers  G.  A.  R.  seem  to  blame  the 
Mexican  war  veterans,  or  rather  make  light  of  the 
number  of  the  enemy  killed  in  battle.  As  I  tried 
both  wars  and  know  what  it  cost  me  to  be  a  partici 
pant  in  each,  with  one  leg  now  in  the  grave,  I  wish 
to  offer  an  apology  why  we  did  so  poorly  in  the 
killing  business.  First  our  guns  were  the  flint 
lock,  which  gave  the  enemy  good  time  to  dodge. 
We  had  neither  navy  revolver  nor  Winchester 
rifles,  no  chaplains  to  the  regiment  to  pray  for 
straight  shooting,  no  whisky  ration  to  cheer  us  on 
the  march  or  in  the  fray,  no  aspirants  among  officers 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.       245 

or  men  for  military  rank  or  future  civil  office.  All 
stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  support.  No  officer 
neglected  his  duty  to  his  country  to  speculate  in 
fiber  lint.  No  base  to  fall  back  upon.  Defeat 
meant  the  fate  of  Maximilian.  In  that  war  there 
was  no  retreat.  No  bandboxes  were  carried  there. 
No  kind  mother  or  loving  sister  to  soothe  the  dying. 
No  delicacies  ever  reached  the  sick  from  loved  ones 
at  home.  Password ;  "Remember  the  Alamo !" 
Being  few  in  number,  we  had  to  stand  together. 
No  millionaires  were  made  from  that  frolic,  but 
many  since  from  the  empire  acquired.  It  is  painful 
for  a  father  to  hear  the  pouting  son  chide  the  old 
man  with  a  big  "I"  and  a  little  "u." 

We  did  the  best  we  could  under  all  the  circum 
stances,  with  those  two  grand  old  Generals  to  head 
our  movements — Scott  and  Taylor — who  were  sol 
diers  and  gentlemen  in  every  sense  of  the  term, 
who  had  a  heart  and  soul  each  as  big  as  a  white  ox. 
We  had  no  drafted  men,  no  substitutes,  no  bounty 
jumpers  in  the  way.  We  have  done  all  we  coufd 
for  you  in  our  weakness.  We  gave  you  an  empire 
of  untold  wealth  and  resources ;  we  made  it  possible 
to  span  the  continent  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean  with  the  steel  bar;  we  unlocked  the 
door  of  prosperity  to  this  nation  and  reversed  the 
incoming  trade  of  the  world ;  we  have  now  only  left 
a  few  of  us  of  that  jingo  war  to  answer  roll-call  a 
little  longer. 

But  what  is  the  matter  with  you  Grand  Army 
boys  that  you  think  we  stand  in  your  way?  Why 
don't  you  like  men,  call  on  the  Government  to  make 
good  that  depreciated  currency  it  paid  you?  No. 
you  don't  dare  do  it,  because  you  have  a  master  in 
the  wood-pile.  Such  a  payment  as  that  would  bring 
good  times.  As  a  parting  word  to  my  comrades  of 
the  G.  A.  R.,  we  will  soon  be  out  of  your  way,  and 
the  G.  A.  R.  will  soon  become  a  thing  of  the  past, 


246      INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 


like  the  jingo  war  veterans.  It's  only  a  question 
of  time. — M.  C.  Randelman,  Carlisle,  Iowa,  Feb. 
24,  1887. 


STEALING  A  GRAVE. 


(By  Captain  W.  L.  Craig.) 


The  experience  of  all  nations  in  all  ages  has 
demonstrated  that  during  war  times  the  average 
soldier  cannot  be  intrusted  in  the  enemy's  country 
with  any  article  outside  of  his  regular  equipment 
of  less  weight  than  a  red-hot  stove.  In  fact  it  may 
be  safely  assumed  that  the  love  of  appropriation  in 
creased  in  proportion  to  his  thoroughness  in  compre 
hending  his  soldierly  duties.  Not  that  this  unhappy 
trait  is  encouraged  by  the  rules  of  war ;  on  the  con- 
tary,  the  most  delicate  sense  of  honor  and  respect 
for  the  rights  and  property  of  others  is  inculcated 
and  enforced  as  rigidly  as  possible,  but  it  is,  never 
theless,  a  remarkable  fact  that  just  in  proportion  to 
the  moral  restraint  brought  to  bear  on  the  average 
soldier,  the  greater  does  his  desire  seem  to  be  to 
take  unto  himself  the  goods  and  chattels  of  others. 
I  have  in  mind  a  most  remarkable  instance  which  ill 
ustrates  this  singular  propensity  in  a  forceable  man 
ner.  During  one  of  my  campaigns,  the  command 
to  which  I  was  attached  had  for  several  months  been 
subjected  to  the  most  fatiguing  marches.  We  were 
short  of  tents,  clothing,  and  most  of  the  things  which 
make  a  winter  campaign  endurable.  To  cap  the 
climax  of  our  discomforts  there  came  a  heavy  fall 
of  snow.  The  poor  fellows  stood  on  picket  duty 
with  the  snow  above  their  shoe-tops  and  with  insuf 
ficient  clothing.  Their  tents  were  nothing  more 
than  rags  and  tatters,  and  when  the  snow  melted 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      247 

a  vast  sea  of  mud  extended  throughout  the  encamp 
ment,  so  that  there  was  scarcely  a  dry  spot  upon 
which  to  rest  their  tired  bodies.  As  a  consequence, 
sickness  became  so  prevalent  that  at  surgeon's  call 
almost  the  entire  comand  came  crawling  toward  the 
hospital  tent.  Many,  very,  many  of  the  poor  fel 
lows  died,  and  the  effect  of  the  "Dead  March"  be 
came  so  depressing  on  the  sick  that  an  order  was 
issued  doing  away  with  the  services  of  the  band  at 
burials.  One  morning  I  received  an  order  from 
the  colonel  for  a  detail  to  dig  a  grave,  as  one  of 
my  company  had  died  in  the  hospital.  A  sergeant 
and  six  men  wer  ordered  to  the  burying  ground 
near  by  to  prepare  a  resting  place  for  their  departed 
comrade.  Other  regiments  were  encamped  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood,  and  the  death-rate  with 
them  was  as  great  as  it  was  with  us,  so  there  was  a 
common  burial  ground  for  all.  I  saw  che  detail 
depart  with  spades  and  picks,  and,  with  a  sigh, 
turned  to  my  tent  brooding  over  the  fate  of  those 
who  died  thus  ingloriously.  Presently  I  looked  out, 
and  the  sergeant  and  his  men  were  coming  towards 
camp  on  a  run.  Straight  they  went  to  the  hospital, 
and  in  a  few  moments  they  were  seen  escorting  an 
ambulance  containing  a  coffin  toward  the  grave 
yard.  There  was  a  mystery  about  their  proceedings 
as  they  had  not  been  absent  long  enough  to  dig  a 
grave.  After  reaching  the  burial  place,  the  ambu 
lance  halted,  the  deceased  was  lowered  into  the 
earth  and  the  cortege  returned  in  unseeming  haste. 
Just  as  they  reached  camp  another  procession  was 
seen  to  move  with  solemn  pace  from  our  neighbor's 
camp  toward  the  cemetery.  They  headed  for  the 
same  spot  where  the  burial  had  taken  place  a  few 
moments  before.  Reaching  it  they  halted,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  something  wrong.  After  a  few 
minutes  consultation  a  party  returned  to  camp  and 
was  seen  approaching  with  spades  and  picks.  Then 


248       INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

the  truth  dawned  upon  me.  My  men  had  found  a 
grave  already  dug,  and  true  to  their  thievish  in 
stincts,  they  had  stolen  it  and  therein  planted  their 
man. 


ADDRESS  OF  GENERAL  SHIELDS. 


Those  who  visit  the  capitol  building  at  Wash 
ington  City  will  note  an  admirable  painting  which 
adorns  the  western  wall  at  the  head  of  the  stairs 
leading  to  the  senate  gallery.  This  picture  re 
presents  the  "storming  of  Chepultepec." 

The  central  figure  of  the  group  of  officers,  to 
wit,  the  one  dismounted  in  shirt  sleeves,  with  a 
wounded  arm  slung  in  a  handkerchief,  apparently 
addressing  the  Division  Commander,  (General 
Quitman,)  represents  General  Shields  obtaining 
permission  to  storm  the  outer  wall  of  the  Castle, 
which  his  gallant  volunteers  subsequently  accom 
plished,  though  with  great  slaughter. 

The  following  is  a  synopsis  of  an  address,  made 
by  General  Shields,  at  the  Sixth  Annual  Reunion 
of  the  National  Association  of  Veterans  of  the 
Mexican  War,  held  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  Feb.  22nd, 
1879.  The  following  account  is  written  by  one 
who  heard  the  General  on  that  occasion : 


Gen.  Shields  was  then  introduced  to  the  audi 
ence.  His  address  was  entirely  extempore.  He 
began  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  the  operations 
of  the  American  army  in  Mexico,  and  spoke  of  the 
many  deeds  of  valor  from  the  commencement  at 
Palo  Alto  until  the  capture  of  the  City.  He  refer 
red  in  eulogistic  terms  to  his  commander,  General 
Winfield  Scott,  and  said,  with  reference  to  the  cap 
ture  of  Cero  Gordo,  that  if  the  commander-in-chief 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      249 

had  not  been  a  general  of  consummate  skill,  the 
bones  of  his  little  army  would  have  whitened  the 
hills  of  Cero  Gordo.  It  was  one  of  the  most  re 
markable  battles  in  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
wars  on  record.  The  Americans  never  suffered 
defeat,  never  experienced  a  reverse,  or  met  with 
even  an  accidental  disaster.  The  commander-in- 
chief  had  remarked  in  the  hearing  of  the  speaker 
that  he  preferred  to  win  his  battles  by  strategy  rather 
than  by  making  himself  a  butcher,  and  that  the 
needless  sacrifice  of  the  life  of  one  of  his  soldiers 
would  cause  him  to  regard  Ijjmself  as  a  murderer. 
Military  men  of  today  consider  Cerro  Gordo  os  one 
of  the  great  battle  fields  of  the  world.  On  the 
loth  of  August,  of  the  year  of  which  Cerro  Gordo 
was  captured,  10,000  soldiers  entered  the  Valley  of 
Mexico,  leaving  behind  them  their  supplies,  rein 
forcements  and  communications.  Isolated  and  cut 
off  from  all  reinforcements,  the  little  army  fought 
battle  after  battle,  and  on  September  I3th,  with 
6,000  men  crossed  the  ramparts  of  Mexico  and  en 
tered  a  city  with  200,000  inhabitants  defended  by 
an  army  of  30,000  men.  Why,  an  Englishman,  a 
resident  of  Mexico,  asked  whether  that  was  the 
advanced  guard,  and  when  told  it  was  the  army  of 
occupation,  replied  that  the  Americans  were  not 
only  the  bravest,  but  the  most  impudent  soldiers  in 
the  world.  If  the  Americans  had  as  great  histor 
ians  as  other  nations,  this  victory  would  have  been 
heralded  around  the  world  as  one  of  the  greatest 
of  modern  times.  Troy  would  have  been  conquered 
by  an  American  army  in  six  months.  Enough 
territory  had  been  acquired  to  make  a  new  republic, 
and  enough  mineral  wealth  to  enrich  any  country, 
and  it  has  changed  the  monetary  system  of  the 
world.  A  short  time  ago  a  cry  was  raised  from 
Europe  that  the  Bonanza  mines  would  pour  out  a 
deluge  of  silver.  Instead  of  complaining  about  it 


250      INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

he  would  wish  that  some  of  it  would  come  in  the 
way  of  Mexican  veterans.  The  war  gave  the 
United  States  control  of  the  Pacific,  the  finest  ocean 
in  the  world,  so  that  now  this  country  is  washed  on 
the  east  by  the  broad  Atlantic  and  on  the  west  by 
the  golden  Pacific.  All  this  has  been  acquired  by 
the  war,  and  here  is  a  little  wreck  of  those  who  help 
ed  to  acquire  it,  lifting  up  their  hands  to  see  if  they 
can  get  some  little  pittance  for  the  great  service 
they  have  rendered  their  country.  He  hoped  that 
this  country  would  not  do  as  other  countries  have 
sometimes  done — erect  monuments  to  the  very  men 
whom  they  allowed  to  starve  while  on  earth. 

It  is  said  that  figures  don't  lie,  but  in  Washing 
ton  there  are  no  greater  liars  than  figures.  There 
have  been  many  attempts  to  obtain  returns  of  the 
survivors  of  the  Mexican  war  from  every  State  in 
the  Union,  and  the  returns  which  have  been  obtain 
ed  by  the  association  concerned  are  as  accurate  as 
any  returns  can  in  all  probability  be  in  such  cases, 
and  what  are  these  returns? 

That  in  the  whole  Union  at  this  day  there  are 
not  eleven  thousand  Mexican  veterans  alive.  I  need 
no  report  from  any  Government  Bureau  to  enlighten 
my  mind  on  a  point  like  this. 

I  cannot  call  the  death-roll  of  the  American 
army  that  served  in  Mexico,  but  I  can  call  the  death- 
roll  of  the  general  officers  who  served  in  that  army : 
Scott,  Taylor,  Wool,  Worth,Twiggs,  Kearney,  Quit- 
man,  Pillow,  Pierce,  Crushing,  Cadwalader — all 
gone,  all  dead !  I,  the  youngest  of  them  all  am  left 
to  make  an  appeal  to  Congress ;  to  make  it  with 
heart  and  voice;  to  do  something;  to  do  it  speedily; 
if  it  is  deferred  a  few  sessions  longer  it  will  come  too 
late;  for  then  the  action  of  Congress  will  not  come 
to  cheer  living  men,  but  will  fall  on  silent  graves. 
They  confront  me  with  exaggerated  estimates  of  the 
Pension  Bureau.  But  I  can  give  figures  of  my  own. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.      251 

One  of  the  regiments  of  my  brigade,  "the  Palmetto," 
of  South  Carolina,  stood  in  Mexico  1,077  strong, 
all  gallant  boys.  When  the  war  was  over,  when 
the  City  of  Mexico  was  taken,  that  regiment  muster 
ed  what?  Three  hundred  and  sixty-nine  men. 
That  number  was  all  who  were  left  to  carry  back  the 
Palmetto  flag  to  the  old  State  of  South  Carolina. 
And  how  many  are  now  left?  Just  eight.  A  dele 
gate  has  come  here  to  attend  this  convention,  and 
he  tells  me  there  are  only  eight  men  of  that  regi 
ment  left  alive.  And  now  comes  a  Congressional 
Bureau  and  says  that  50,000  veterans  are  still  alive. 
The  estimate  is  no  doubt  swelled  by  adding  to  the 
number  those  who  were  mustered  in  to  service,  but 
never  left  further  than  to  be  in  sight  of  their  chim 
neys.  He  hoped  the  committee  appointed  by  the 
Association  would  go  to  work  at  once,  and  he 
thought  that  even  during  this  session  of  Congress, 
brief  as  is  the  time,  the  pension  bill  may  be  passed. 
But  if  not,  it  will  be  certainly  passed  the  next 
Congress.  He  said  he  had  come  to  Baltimore  en 
tirely  unprepared,  but  it  does  not  require  much 
preparation  to  speak  on  this  subject,  for,  as  Henry 
Clay  once  said,  "I  was  thar.". 


252      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


AT  BENTS  OLD  FORT. 

(By  Agustus  Allen  Hays.) 

For  more  than  800  long,  toilsome  miles  from 
the  bustling  town  of  Westport  on  the  Missouri  to 
the  royal  city  of  New  Spain,  stretched  the  old  Santa 
Fe  trail.  At  its  initial  point  on  the  great  muddy 
river  there  were  usually  a  gathering  of  men,  cattle 
and  wagons,  for  the  making  up  of  the  numerous 
trains  soon  to  be  dotted  along  its  whole  length, 
steadily  marching  westward,  or  resting  at  Council 
Grove,  Pawnee  Fork,  the  Cimarron  Crossing  or 
Las  Vegas.  Now,  however,  all  ws  strangely  quiet 
at  Westport  and  along  the  trail.  No  longer  pro 
cessions  of  white  topped  wagons  lighted  up  the 
yellowish  green  buffalo  grass;  no  crack  of  whip 
nor  merry  wagoner's  song  sounded  along  the  banks 
of  the  river ;  no  smoke  of  camp  fires  rose  in  the  clear 
air.  A  great  change  had  come  over  the  old  Santa 
Fe  trail,  for  it  was  July,  1846,  and  war  in  Mexico 
had  been  declared,  and  waiting  in  New  Spain  were 
not  eager  buyers  of  merchandise,  but  war-like  part 
ies  ready,  as  reported,  to  welcome  the  Gringoes 
"with  bloody  hands  to  hospitable  graves."  Not 
wholly  deserted,  however,  by  any  means  was  the 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      253 

great  route  along  the  tortuous  course  of  the  Arkan 
sas,  for  on  it  was  marching  the  finest  "Army  of  the 
West,"  under  General  Stephen  Kearney.  Starting 
from  Fort  Leavenworth  and  making  their  way  with 
much  difficulty  over  the  rough  country  between  that 
point  and  the  trail,  they — the  staff,  the  regulars  (in 
fantry,  dragoons  and  two  batteries,)  and  the  famed 
First  Regiment  of  Missouri  Cavalry — had  passed 
Pawnee  Fork,  and  were  concentrating  on  a  point 
not  for  from  the  junction  of  the  Tampas  river  with 
the  Arkansas.  Near  this  point,  too,  on  the  left 
bank,  was  the  fort  owned  by,  and  named  for,  one 
of  the  family  of  Bent,  those  celebrated  frontiersmen 
and  trappers.  It  was  a  commodious  structure  of 
adobe,  with  large  central  enclosure  and  rude  ac 
commodations  for  man  and  beast. 

It  was  near  sunset  on  or  near  the  28th  day  of 
July  when  a  detatchment  of  Doniphan's  regiment, 
with  the  headquarter's  staff,  halted  for  the  night  be 
yond  the  "big  timber,"  or  grove  of  large  cotton 
trees,  where  the  valley  opens  out  and  the  river  banks 
slope  gently  down  to  it,  a  day's  march  east  of  the 
fort.  A  group  of  officers  gathered  around  the 
camp  fire,  and  sat  waiting  for  their  supper.  Ere 
long  one  of  the  surgeons  joined  them,  lighting  his 
pipe  as  he  took  his  seat. 

"How  are  the  sick  men,  doctor?"  asked  the 
major. 

"The  engineer  officer  is  better,  but  still  very 
weak,"  replied  the  surgeon ;  "the  lieutenant  of  cav 
alry  is  worse  and  I  fear  he  cannot  last  long." 

"Poor  fellow,"  ejaculated  the  major.  "He  is 
a  good  and  a  brave  man.  It  is  hard  for  him  to  die 
here,  and  of  a  miserable  fever,  before  a  shot  has 
been  fired.  More  than  one  heart  will  ache  in  St. 
Louis  when  they  get  the  news  of  his  ending.  Can 
nothing  be  done  for  him?" 


254      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

"Nothing,"  said  the  doctor.  "He  is  quite  un 
conscious,  and  will  probably  pass  quietly  away  dur 
ing  the  night,  and  without  coming  to  himself." 

So  it  was ;  and  at  sunset  next  day  the  Pawnees 
and  Comanches  lounging  about  the  entrance  of 
Bent's  fort  heard  the  volley  of  the  firing  party,  then 
saw  the  little  detatchment  marching  with  a  rapid 
pace  back  to  the  camp.  Outside,  and  close  under 
the  walls  of  the  fort  at  the  northwest  corner,  and 
among  the  graves  of  not  a  few  traders,  trappers, 
and  ruffians,  who  had  died  "with  their  boots  on," 
was  a  simple  headboard  placed,  on  which  was  in 
scribed  : 

LEONARD  HAMLIN, 


Lieutenant   First   Missouri   Cavalry, 
Born  in  St.  Louis,  Aug.  10,  1821. 
Died  near  Ben't  Fort,  July  29,  1846. 

Then  on  went  the  Army  of  the  West — on  to 
Las  Vegas,  Santa  Fe,  Old  Mexico,  and  California — 
to  do  famous  deeds  of  valor;  to  bring  new  glory 
to  the  starry  flag,  and  to  wrest  from  the  foemen 
a  princely  addition  to  the  territory  of  the  United 
States.  Eastward  again  went  no  army  with  ban 
ners,  no  dragoons  with  lance  and  saber,  no  batterieS 
with  bright  field  pieces  and  heavy  caissons.  There 
went  only  one  man — a  courier,  who  rode  like  the 
wind,  changing  his  horses  at  frequent  intervals  and 
dodging  the  Sioux  and  the  Osages  as  he  covered 
league  after  league  of  the  long  route.  At  last  he 
galloped,  safe  and  sound,  into  Westport,  and  the 
river  being  high,  was  not  detained  on  the  steamer. 
When  he  arrived  at  St.  Louis  the  news  he  brought 
spread  rapidly,  and  people  stopped  to  discuss  it  at 
street  corners,  and  the  papers  under  flaming  head 
lines,  told  how  the  gallant  little  Army  of  the  West, 


INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      255 

with  so  many  of  the  sons  of  Missouri  enrolled  there 
in,  had  gone  gallantly  on  to  the  border.  Only  in 
two  houses  were  there  stricken  hearts  and  sore  dis 
tress  and  weeping  for  him  who  would  never  return, 
but  lay  sleeping  under  the  walls  of  Bent's  Fort.  A 
father  appeared  at  his  post  of  duty  with  the  hag 
gard  look  of  one  who  had  grown  suddenly  older  by 
years;  a  mother  sat  speechless  and  with  streaming 
eyes  at  a  Western  window,  and  pretty  Ruth  Chan- 
dreu,  on  whose  finger  shown  the  diamond  of  an 
engagement  ring,  forsook  society,  and,  clad  in  som 
ber  garments  of  woe,  gave  herself  wholly  to  works 
of  charity  and  mercy. 

The  years  rolled  on,  and  Time,  with  healing 
touch,  soothed  the  suffering  and  comforted  the 
mourning. 

Nearly  forty  years  had  passed :  and  what  won 
drous  change  had  they  wrought?  Near  the  spot 
where  the  rough  frontiersmen  used  to  pack  the  great 
wagons  and  make  up  the  trains  for  the  route  to 
Santa  Fe  stood  the  large,  prosperous,  busy,  growing 
metropolis  of  western  Missouri,  Kansas  City. 
From  its  commodious  Union  Depot  went  trains  of 
a  far  different  character  from  those  of  old  times. 
To  them  were  attached  no  patient  oxen  or  refrac 
tory  mules,  but  great  engines;  and  on  them  were 
not  the  white  canvas-topped  "ships  of  the  plains," 
but  long  cars,  bright  as  to  color  and  luxurious  as  to 
interior.  Hour,  after  hour,  forth  went  these  trains 
bound,  on  schedule  time,  oved  what  had  not  long 
ago  been  a  wild  and  Indian-haunted  stretch  of  land, 
fhe  snow  range  and  the  Spanish  peaks ;  to  the 
Wahsatch,  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  and  Sierra  Nevada ; 
to  Denver,  San  Francisco,  Paso  del  Norte  and  the 
city  of  the  Montezumas. 

It  was  a  beautiful  July  morning,  and  there  was 
a  tremendous  bustle  at  the  station,  but,  above  all 
the  roar  and  rattle,  the  noise  of  the  shouting,  the 


256       INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

babel  of  tongues,  one  heard  plainly  the  cry — 

"Thunderbolt  express  for  Pueblo  and  Denver, 
through  without  change.  All  aboard." 

And  then,  with  quick  puffs  of  white  steam  and 
clanging  of  bell  and  gathering  speed,  the  locomotive 
drew  the  long  train  out  of  the  yard  and  whirled  it 
away  upon  the  prairie.  The  engineer,  with  quick 
hand  on  the  throttle  and  quick  eye  ahead,  settled 
himself  sideways  on  his  bench;  the  express  mes 
senger,  girded  with  cartridge  belt,  began  checking 
his  weigh  bill,  and  the  Pullman  porter,  with  prac 
ticed  eye  took  account  of  the  passengers  in  the 
new  sleeping  car,  "Wohatoya."  "Golly!"  said  he, 
under  his  breath,  "if  dere  ain't  ole  Uncle  Dick  Rux- 
ton  goin'  out  agen.  I'll  strike  him  for  a  quarter 
to-morrow  mornin,'  an'  no  mistake.  An'  sakes 
alive,  'aint  dat  a  pooty  gal  in  the  opposite  section? 
She  ain't  one  of  dem  consumptive  kind  dat  goes  out 
to  de  springs.  Reckon  she  and  her  ma's  agoin'  for 
a  cool  summer  in  de  mountains." 

Pretty,  indeed,  was  Daisy  Robinot  as  she  sat 
in  her  light  traveling  dress  by  her  white  haired 
mother.  Her  own  glossy  hair  was  as  brown  as  the 
water  in  the  mountain  streams,  and  the  big  eyes 
under  those  long  lashes  shown  as  bright  as  the  glow 
worm  in  the  prairie  twilight.  Uncle  Dick  Ruxton 
stopped  to  speak  to  the  pair  before  he  went  to  the 
smoking  compartment  to  enjoy  a  cigar  with  a 
friend,  whom  he  discovered,  as  was  his  wont. 

"Of  course  she's  pretty,"  said  he.  "I  don't 
know  no  likelier  lookin'  gal  this  side  of  the  moun 
tains,  but  I'll  just  tell  you  one  thing,  and  that  is 
that  she  can't  hold  a  candle  to  what  her  mother 
was  when  I  first  knowed  her.  Blame  me,  ef  sKe 
didn't  jest  lay  over  the  whole  crowd  in  St.  Louis 
when  I  was  a  youngster  and  used  to  trap  for  her 
father,  old  Flandreau.  Lots  of  the  boys  was  mash 
ed  on  her,  but  she  didn't  care  for  no  one  but  a 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      257 

young  fellow  named  Hamlin.  When  the  call  came 
for  troops  fur  the  Mexican  war,  he  got  a  commis 
sion  in  Doniphan's  regiment,  an'  blame  me,  ef  he 
didn't  strike  a  streak  of  mighty  bad  luck,  fur  he 
took  sick  and  died  before  ever  they  got  to  the  Raton 
Mountains.  She  was  jest  everlastingly  broke  up, 
poor  gal!  She  lived  on  for  years  not  seeming  to 
take  no  interest  nor  care  for  nobody;  but  after  a 
while,  when  she  was  no  longer  young  an'  was  kind 
o'  lonesome,  that  fellow  Robinot  came  along  an' 
wouldn't  take  no  for  an  answer,  an'  she  married 
him.  He  passed  in  his  checks  five  years  ago,  leav 
en'  her  this  one  little  girl,  an'  mighty  well  fixed.  I 
allow  they  can  go  where  they  like  an'  do  what  they 
please.  The  gal's  a  daisy,  you  bet !  She  was  along 
with  her  uncle  when  the  General  took  those  English 
swells  out  on  the  plains.  He  had  me  for  scout,  an' 
I  seen  all  that  was  agoin'  on.  There  was  a  young 
captain  in  the  escort  that  was  mighty  sweet  on  her, 
an'  I  allow  she  liked  him,  and  would  have  been 
glad  to  see  more  of  him,  but  his  regiment's  gone 
out  to  Fort  Lewis,  and  I  reckon  he  couldn'  get  no 
leave  along  of  them  Indian  troubles." 

The  frontiersman  stopped  and  scraped  a  match 
to  relight  his  cigar.  The  train  was  running  at  full 
speed  "on  the  iron  trail"  over  nearly  the  same  route 
as  that  taken  by  the  wagons  in  old  days,  but  con 
suming  only  hours  in  progress  which  cost  them 
days.  How  changed  was  everything  on  the  road! 
Where,  only  a  few  years  before,  the  wagoner  and 
the  dragoon,  the  Sioux  and  Comanche,  had  found 
naught  to  break  the  view  in  the  desolate  region 
stretching  to  the  horizon,  where  now  were  seen  not 
only  houses  and  barns,  but  school  houses  and 
churches.  The  young  girl  and  her  mother,  the 
tourists,  the  emigrants — all  the  passengers  making 
the  journey  for  the  first  time — looked  with  interest 
and  surprise  at  the  wonders  wrought  by  the  hand 


258      INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

of  man ;  and  still  the  train  sped  on  toward  the  set 
ting  sun,  until  that  orb  sank,  in  a  blazing  light,  under 
the  rim  of  the  prairie,  and  the  solemn,  silent  night 
threw  its  mantle  o'er  the  near  and  distant  scene. 
Through  its  long  hours,  as  through  those  of  day, 
the  untiring  iron  horse,  with  inexorable  strength, 
whirled  the  long  train  toward  the  mountains. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning  that  a  sudden  stop 
was  made.  Uncle  Dick  went  to  recconnoiter  and 
soon  came  back  to  report.  Miss  Daisy  and  her 
mother  were  sitting  in  their  section  when  he  ap 
proached. 

We've  struck  a  streak  of  bad  luck  now,"  said 
he.  "Something  broke  on  the  engine,  an'  they've 
got  to  telegraph  ahead  for  another.  She  can't  be 
here  for  three  hours  at  least." 

"Where  are  we?"  asked  Mrs.  Robinot. 

"Well,  by  this  new  fangled  way  of  reckonin' 
they  call  this  mile  post  549,  but  I  know  every  inch 
of  the  ground,  and  we're  just  across  the  river  from 
a  place  I've  had  many  a  good  time — Bent's  old  fort." 

To  the  surprise  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Robinot 
started  sharply,  rose  almost  to  her  feet,  turned  pale 
and  then  flushed  to  her  eyes.  Only  with  a  great 
effort  did  she  command  herself  sufficiently  to  speak. 

"Can  we  not  visit  that  fort?"  she  asked. 

"Well,  it  aint  fur  away,  and  it's  only  a  matter 
of  crossing  the  river  if  we  kin  get  some  kind  of  a 
boat  or  raft.  I'll  go  an'  see,"  and  he  left  the  two 
women  by  themselves. 

The  mother  took  her  daughter's  hand  and  turn 
ed  to  her. 

"My  child,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone,  "many 
years  ago  I  lost  a  dear  friend,  who  died  far,  far  away 
as  it  then  seemed;  and  the  place  where  he  was 
buried  has  been  to  me,  through  all  the  part  of  my 
life  which  has  passed  since  then,  as  if  in  some  other 
world.  Now,  what  you  may  call  chance  has  arres- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.      259 

ted  our  progress  near  a  spot  of  which  I  hear  the 
name  repeated  for  the  first  time  since  the  courier 
brought  the  sad  news  to  me,  a  young  girl  like  you. 
It  would  make  me  happier  to  look  for  once  at  that 
lonely  grave."  She  sat  silent  for  a  time,  closely 
pressing  the  girl's  hand,  and  then  Uncle  Dick  re 
turned. 

"It  warn't  such  a  bad  streak  of  luck  arter  all," 
said  he,  with  a  broad  smile  on  his  honest  face. 
"Thar's  a  couple  of  officers  and  a  squad  o'  men 
that's  been  camping  near  here  takin'  some  photo 
graphs.  They're  over  thar  to  the  fort  now,  an* 
we'll  hail  'em  an'  git  'em  to  send  their  raft  for  us." 

They  walked  down  the  sloping  bank,  and  when 
they  pushed  their  way  between  the  cottonwood 
trees,  which  obstructed  their  view,  there  was  the 
ancient  fort,  ruined  and  dilapidated  but  preserving 
something  of  its  old  form  and  dimensions.  A  hail 
brought  a  raft,  poled  by  two  soldiers,  and  a  few 
moments  Mrs.  Robinot,  guided  by  Uncle  Dick  to  the 
northwest  corner,  found  the  grave  of  him  who  had 
been  laid  there  nearly  forty  years  before.  The 
wood  of  the  headboard  was  as  hard  as  iron ;  no  van 
dal  hand  had  invaded  this  humble  imitation  of  God's 
acre,  and  the  name  could  still  be  deciphered.  Mrs. 
Robinot  was  overcome  for  a  moment  and  she  held 
her  handkerchief  to  her  eyes  while  Uncle  Dick  was 
speaking.  "Yer  hadn't  orter  to  take  on,  now,  really, 
ma'am,"  said  he.  "He  was  a  good  man  and  a  brave 
man,  and  he  went  to  glory  nigh  on  forty  years  ago. 
I  allow  you  ain't  got  no  call  to  grieve  for  him  now ; 
an'  here's  the  captain  come  to  pay  his  respects." 

Mrs.  Robinot  removed  her  handkerchief  from 
her  eyes  only  to  start  more  violently  than  before,  for 
facing  her,  cap  in  hand  and  smiling,  was  the  living 
counterpart  of  him  who  had  come,  when  they  were 
both  very  young,  to  bid  her  good  bye,  and  in  uni 
form,  too.  And  then,  stranger  still,  it  was  her  own 


260      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

daughter  who,  coloring  to  her  eys,  introduced  to  this 
breathing  remains  of  the  past. 

"Mamma,"  said  she,  "this  is  an  old  acquaintance 
of  mine.  I  told  you  I  met  him  on  the  plains,  but 
perhaps  I  did  not  mention  his  name — Captain 
Leonard  Hamlin " 

"Of  the th  Cavalry,  very  much  at  your  ser 
vice,"  said  the  officer,  "and  namesake  and  nephew 
of  one  whom,  if  I  mistake  not,  you  knew  well  in  the 
past  years." 

As  a  matter  of  course  the  rest  of  this  little 
story  is  easily  told.  In  a  new  generation  the  disap 
pointment  of  a  former  one  was  redressed ;  the  even 
ing  of  the  mother's  days  were  cheered  by  the  hap 
piness — inaugurated  with  such  poetic  justice —  of 
her  daughter;  and  the  curious  traveler  may  see  for 
himself  what  loving  care  has  done  for  the  lonely 
grave  at  Bent's  old  fort. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.      261 


POEM  BY  GENERAL  PIKE. 


The  following  poem  was  read  by  General  Al 
bert  Pike,  before  the  first  National  convention  of 
Mexican  War  Veterans,  held  in  Washington  city, 
on  January  i6th,  1874.  The  venerable  philosopher, 
poet,  gentleman  and  soldier,  completed  three-score 
years  and  ten  on  the  2Qth  day  of  December,  of  that 
year.  General  Pike  was  an  able  lawyer,  and  prac 
ticed  his  profession  before  the  Supreme  Court  in 
Washington  city. 

"When  California  was  a  foreign  land!" 
How  many  shadowy,  ghost-like  figures  stand 
Between  that  Then  and  Now! — forms  of  dead 

Years, 

Old,  meager,  pale;  and  four  all  blood  and  tears, 
With  faces  full  of  pain  and  agony, 
And  sitting  bowed  in  speechless  misery : 
And  three  the  farthest  from  us,  laurel-crowned, 
The  Years  for  victories  over  foreign  foes  renowned. 

Comrades  and  Friends,  the  glorious  Past  recall ; 
Live  it  again ;  in  memory  up6n  all 
Your  well-known  fields  of  battle  stand  again, 
Young,  hopeful,  eager,  proud,  as  you  were  then — 


262       INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Rebels,  against  the  tyranny  of  time: 
Ride  through  the  hills,  the  mountain  passes  climb ; 
Camp  on  the  streams  through  fertile  vales  that  flow, 
From  the  broad  beds  of  everlasting  snow ; 
Hear  once  again  the  Aztec  eagle  scream; 
See  once  again  Santana's  lances  gleam; 
The  toils  and  hardships  of  the  march  endure ; 
Win  glory,  and  your  country's  thanks  secure. 

"When  California  was  a  foreign  land!" — 
If  time's  not  measured  by  the  dropping  sand 
That  counts  the  silent  moments  as  they  flit, 
But  by  the  great  deeds  that  are  done  in  it, 
Then,  Comrades,  'tis  a  century  or  more 
Since  Yankee  arms  the  flag  of  glory  bore, 
From  PaloAlto,  and  from  Vera  Cruz, 
Destined  the  day  upon  our  field  to  lose, 
To  the  Belen  gate ;  and  on  its  very  fold 
Have  new  glories  added  to  the  old; — 
By  Taylor's  legions  won  at  Monterey : 
On  Buena  Vista's  memorable  day; 
Where  Kearny  led  to  victory  his  command. 
And  Stockton's  sailors  learned  to  fight  on  land ; 
At  Sacramento,  where  the  brave  troops,  led 
By  Doniphan,  the  foe  discomfited; 
On  Cherubusco's  bloody  causeway  won ; 
By  deeds  of  valor  at  Contreras  done; 
When  Worth  and  Quitman  stormed  Chepultepec, 
And  Mexico  lay  stranded  like  a  wreck. 

After  Resaca,  when  the  Motherland, 
With  sword  uplifted  in  her  mighty  hand, 
Called  on  her  sons  to  meet  the  braggart  foe, 
And  bear  her  banners  into  Mexico, 
Her  trumpet-call,  in  every  hamlet  heard, 
The  North  and  South  alike  inspired  and  stirred, 
Then  from  the  icy  hills  of  pine-clad  Maine, 
And  the  great  lakes,  rang  out  the  same  refrain, 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR.      263 

To  the  Mexique  Gulf  and  farthest  Arkansas— 
"Ready!"  and  "Forward  to  the  seat  of  war!" 
Then  from  the  cities  reigning  by  the  sea, 
And  inland  marts  of  earnest  industry, 
From  the  lone  homes  of  hardy  husbandmen, 
Came  forth  the  toilers  with  plow  and  pen. 

Idler  and  artisans,  to  volunteer; 
To  all  alike  their  country's  honor  dear. 
Little  they  cared  the  cause  of  war  to  know ; 
Enough  for  them  that  in  far  Mexico, 
Our  little  army,  then  the  nation's  pride, 
Faced  gallantly  red  war's  advancing  tide, 
And  if  not  shortly  reinforced  would  be, 
It  and  the  Nations  flag,  in  jeopardy: — 
The  flag  that  tyrrany  abhors  and  hates. 
Whose  golden  Stars  the  symbols  were  of  States, 
Each  Star  a  sun,  with  its  own  light  shoen, 
Not  planets,  with  reflected  light  alone, 
And  making  with  their  stellar  harmony 
The  Constellation's  radiant  unity. 
Then,  one  by  one,  the  days  of  glory  came, 
That  neither  North  nor  South  alone  could  claim, 
Nor  wished  to ;  whose  immortal  memories  are 
The  common  heritage  of  every  star; 
Until  the  conquest  of  nations  crowned 
Our  arms,  the  golden  California  found 
No  tyrant,  by  the  right  of  conquest  Lord, 
To  rule  her  by  the  tenure  of  the  sword : 
But  Freedom,  ruling  by  her  right  divine, 
Making  her,  too,  a  Star,  with  ours  to  shine. 
Nor  did  we  take  her  by  the  sword  alone, 
But  by  fair  purchase  made  her  all  our  own. 

England  remembers,  with  no  lessening  pride, 
The  old  fields  by  her  sons'  blood  sanctified ; 
Remembers  Agincourt,  and  Crecy,  too, 
And  Poitiers,  as  well  as  Waterloo. 


264      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

Shall  the  old  glories  of  our  arms  grow  pale, 
Eclipsed  by  the  latter  ?     Shall  the  names  grow  stale, 
And  dim,  like  stars  veiled  by  an  envious  cloud, 
Of  which  their  country  once  was  justly  proud? 
Let  us,  at  least,  in  reverence  hold  their  names, 
And  guard  with  jealousy  their  worthy  fames; 
Honoring,  as  then  we  honored,  all  the  brave, 
When  Illinois  strewed  flowers  on  Butler's  grave, 
When  Indiana  mourned  the  fate  of  Yell, 
And  Mississippi  wept  when  Hardin  fell; 
Remembering  that  we  all  were  Yankees  there, 
And  in  the  common  glory  had  a  share, 
Consenting  not  that  any  one  state  should  claim 
Exclusive  right  to  any  hero's  fame. 

Enough!     But  I  must  try  your  patience  still, 
Or  a  reluctant  promise  not  fulfill, 
To  read  the  story  of  one  glorious  day, 
Writ  when  its  echoes  scarce  had  died  away. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR.      265 


STORY  OF  TWO  BATTLES. 


(Official  report  of  General  James  Shields.) 
Headquarters    First   Brigade   Volunteer 
Division,    San    Augustine,    Mexico, 
August  24th,  1847. 

SinOn  the  iQth  instant,  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  pursuant  to  the  orders  of  the  gen 
eral  commanding  this  division,  I  marched  from  this 
place  with  the  New  York  and  South  Carolina  re 
giments  of  volunteers  toward  the  battle-field  of 
Contreras.  On  reporting  to  the  commander-in-chief 
who  occupied,  on  my  arrival,  a  position  which  over 
looked  the  field,  he  described  to  me,  in  a  few  words, 
the  position  of  the  contending  forces,  pointing  out 
the  route  of  my  command,  and  briefly  instructed  me 
as  to  the  dispositions  which  would  render  my  force 
the  most  serviceable. 

Directing  my  march  upon  the  village  near  Con 
treras,  the  troops  had  to  pass  over  ground  covered 
with  rocks  and  crags,  and  filled  with  chasms,  which 
rugged  ravine,  along  the  bed  of  which  rolled  a  rapid 
stream,  was  passed,  after  dark  with  great  difficulty 
and  exertion;  and  to  rest  the  wearied  troops  after 
crossing,  I  directed  them  to  lie  upon  their  arms 


266      INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

until  midnight.  While  occupying  this  position, 
two  strong  pickets  thrown  out  by  orders,  discover 
ed,  fired  upon,  and  drove  back  a  body  of  Mexican 
infantry  moving  through  the  field  in  in  a  direction 
from  their  position  towards  the  city.  I  have  since 
learned  that  an  attempt  had  in  like  manner  been 
made  by  the  enemy  to  pass  the  position  on  the  main 
road  occupied  by  the  ist  regiment  of  artillery,  and 
with  a  like  want  of  success.  About  midnight  I 
again  resumed  the  march  and  joined  Brigadier  Gen 
eral  P.  F.  Smith  in  the  village  already  referred  to. 

General  Smith,  previous  to  my  arrival,  had 
made  the  most  judicious  arrangements  for  turning 
and  surprising  the  Mexican  position  about  daybreak, 
and  with  which  I  could  not  wish  to  interfere.  This 
cast  upon  my  command  the  necessity  of  holding  the 
position  to  be  evacuated  by  General  S.,  and  which 
was  threatened  by  the  enemy's  artillery  and  infantry 
on  the  right,  and  a  large  force  of  his  cavalry  on  the 
left.  About  daybreak  the  enemy  opened  a  brisk  fire 
of  grape  and  round  shot  upon  the  church  and  vil 
lage  in  which  my  brigade  was  posted,  os  also  upon 
a  part  of  our  own  troops  displayed  to  divert  him  on 
his  right  and  front — evidently  unaware  of  the 
movement  in  progress  to  turn  his  position  by  the  left 
and  rear.  This  continued  until  Col.  Bennett  Riley's 
brigade  opened  its  fire  from  the  rear,  which  was  de 
livered  with  such  terrible  effect  that  the  whole  Mexi 
can  force  was  thrown  into  the  utmost  conster 
nation. 

At  this  juncture  I  ordered  the  two  regiments 
of  my  command  to  throw  themselves  on  the  main 
road,  by  which  the  enemy  must  retire,  to  intercept 
and  cut  off  his  retreat;  and,  although  officers  and 
men  had  suffered  severely  during  the  night,  and 
from  exposure  without  shelter  or  cover  to  the  inces 
sant  rain  until  daybreak,  this  movement  was  exe 
cuted  in  good  order  and  with  rapidity.  The  Pal- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR.      267 

metto  regiment,  crossing  a  deep  ravine,  deployed  on 
both  sides  of  the  road,  and  opened  a  most  destructive 
fire  upon  the  mingled  masses  of  infantry  and  caval 
ry;  and  the  New  York  regiment,  brought  into  line 
lower  down,  and  on  the  road  side,  delivered  its  fire 
with  a  like  effect.  At  this  point  many  of  the  enemy 
were  killed  and  wounded;  some  365  captured,  of 
which  25  were  officers,  and  among  the  latter  was 
General  Nicholas  Mendoza. 

In  the  mean  time  the  enemy's  cavalry,  about 
8,000  strong,  which  had  been  threatening  our  posi 
tion  during  the  morning,  moved  down  towards  us 
in  good  order,  and  as  if  to  attack.  I  immediately 
recalled  the  infantry  to  place  themselves  in  position 
to  meet  the  threatened  movement ;  but  soon  the  cav 
alry  changed  its  direction  and  retreated  towards  the 
capital.  I  now  received  an  order  from  General  D. 
E.  Twiggs  to  advance  by  the  main  road  towards 
Mexico ;  and  having  posted  Captain  J.  F.  Marshall's 
company  of  South  Carolina  volunteers,  and  Cap 
tain  J.  P.  Taylor's  New  York  volunteers  in  charge 
of  the  prisoners  and  wounded,  I  moved  off  with  the 
remainder  of  my  force  and  joined  the  positions  of 
the  2nd  and  3rd  divisions  already  enroute  on  the 
/main  road.  On  this  march  we  were  joined  by  the 
general-in-chief,  who  assumed  command  of  the 
whole,  and  the  march  continued  uninteruptedly  un 
til  we  arrived  before  Cherubusco.  Here  the  enemy 
was  found  strongly  fortified  and  posted  with  his 
main  force,  probably  25,000. 

The  engagement  was  commenced  by  the  2nd 
division  under  Twiggs,  soon  joined  by  the  ist  un 
der  Worth,  and  was  becoming  general,  when  I  was 
detatched  by  the  commander-in-chief  with  my  two 
regiments  and  Pierce's  brigade — the  Qth,  I2th,  and 
1 5th — with  the  mountain  howitzer  battery  and  or 
dered  to  gain  a  position,  if  possible,  to  attack  the 
enemy's  rear,  and  intercept  his  retreat. 


268      INCIDENTS  OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

Leaving  Coyoacan  by  a  left-hand  road,  and  ad 
vancing  about  a  mile  upon  it,  I  moved  thence  with 
my  command  toward  the  right,  through  a  heavy 
cornfield,  and  gained  an  open  but  swampy  field,  in 
which  is  situated  the  hacienda  De  los  Portales.  On 
the  edge  of  this  field  beyond  the  hacienda,  I  discover 
ed  the  road  by  which  the  enemy  must  retire  from 
Cherubusco,  and  found  his  reserve  of  about  4,000 
infantry  already  occupied  it,  just  in  rear  of  the 
town.  As  my  command  arrived,  I  established  the 
right  upon  a  point  recommended  by  Captain  R.  E. 
Lee,  engineer  officer,  in  whose  skill  and  judgment 
I  had  the  utmost  confidence,  and  I  commenced  a 
movement  to  the  left,  to  flank  the  enemy  on  his 
right,  and  throw  my  troops  between  him  and  the 
city;  but  finding  his  right  supported  by  a  heavy 
body  of  cavalry  of  some  3,000  strong,  and  seeing 
too,  with  his  infantry  he  answered  to  my  movements 
by  a  corresponding  one  towards  his  right  flank, 
gaining  ground  faster  than  I  could,  owing  to  the 
heavy  mud  and  swamp  through  which  I  had  to 
operate,  I  withdrew  the  men  to  the  cover  of  the 
hacienda,  and  determined  to  attack  him  upon  his 
front.  I  selected  the  Palmetto  regiment  as  the  base 
of  my  line,  and  gallant  moved  forward  firmly  and 
rapidly  under  a  fire  of  musketry  as  terrible,  perhaps, 
as  any  soldier  ever  faced;  the  New  York,  I2th  and 
1 5th,  deployed  gallantly  on  the  right,  and  the  Qth 
on  the  left,  and  the  whole  advanced,  opening  their 
fire  as  they  come  up,  and  moving  steadily  forward. 
The  enemy  began  to  waver,  and  when  my  order  to 
charge  was  given  the  men  rushed  upon  and  scatter 
ed  his  broken  ranks.  As  we  reached  the  road  the 
advance  of  Worth's  command  appeared,  driving  the 
enemy  from  his  stronghold  of  Cherubusco.  I  took 
command  of  the  front,  and  continued  in  pursuit  until 
passed  by  Harney  with  his  cavalry,  who  followed  the 
routed  foe  into  the  very  gates  of  the  city. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.      269 

In  this  terrible  battle,  in  which  a  strongly  for 
tified  enemy  fought  behind  his  works  under  the 
walls  of  his  capital,  our  loss  is  necessarily  severe. 
This  loss,  I  regret  to  say,  has  fallen  most  severely 
upon  my  command.  In  the  two  regiments  of  my 
own  brigade,  numbering  about  600  in  the  fight,  the 
loss  is  reported  240  in  killed  and  wounded. 

In  this  last  engagement  my  command  captured 
380  prisoners  including  6  officers.  Of  this  number 
42  had  deserted  from  the  American  army  during  the 
war,  and  at  their  head  was  found  the  notorious 
Riely,  who  had  fought  against  our  troops  at  Monter 
ey  and  elsewhere.  A  particular  and  detailed  report 
of  the  loss,  as  also  of  the  prisoners  captured  by  the 
command,  accompanies  this  report. 

Pierce's  brigade,  under  my  command  in 
this  action,  lost  a  considerable  number  in  killed 
and  wounded.  Amongst  the  latter  the  gallant  Col. 
G.  W.  Morgan,  of  the  I5th.  This  command  hav 
ing  immediately  joined  its  division  immediately  after 
the  action,  I  have,  as  yet,  received  no  official  report 
of  its  loss. 

In  closing  this  report,  I  beg  to  offer  my  thanks 
to  the  many  gallant  officers  of  my  command  for 
their  zealous  and  fearless  support  during  the  con 
flict.  To  Colonel  Ward  B.  Burnett  and  Lieuten 
ant  Colonel  Baxter,  of  the  New  York  volunteers; 
to  Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  P.  Dickinson  and  Major 
A.  H.  Gladden,  South  Carolina  volunteers;  as  also 
to  many  of  their  gallant  subordinates  every  praise 
is  due.  Colonel  Burnett  was  severely  wounded  at 
the  head  of  his  regiment ;  and  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Dickinson  also  severely  wounded  whilst  in  com 
mand  of  his  regiment,  and  while  bearing  gallantly 
forward  the  colors  of  his  corps.  My  thanks  are  due 
to  the  medical  staff  of  the  command — Doctors  J. 
C.  Halstead  and  C.  J.  McKibbin,  of  the  New  York, 
and  Doctors  Clark  and  Bland,  of  the  South  Carolina 


270      INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

regiments;  as  also  to  Doctor  Ebenezer  Swift,  U. 
S.  A.,  for  their  devoted  attention  to  the  wounded. 
It  affords  me  pleasure,  and  I  but  perform  my 
duty,  too,  in  acknowledging  my  great  obligations  to 
Captain  R.  E.  Lee,  engineer  corps ;  as  also  to  my  par 
ticular  staff,  Captain  F.  N.  Page,  A.  A.  G. ;  Lieuten 
ant  R.  P.  Hammond,  3rd  artillery,  aid-de-camp; 
and  Lieutenant  G.  T.  M.  Davis,  of  Illinois,  acting 
as  aid,  for  their  gallant  services  and  fearless  ex 
posure  in  encouraging  the  troops,  and  conveying 
my  orders  during  the  different  engagements. 
Lieutenant  J.  L.  Reno,  commanding  howitzer  bat 
tery,  deserves  great  creadit  for  the  handsome  manner 
in  which  he  brought  his  guns  into  action,  and  con 
tinued  to  serve  them. — From  Official  Records. 


COLONEL  JOHNSTON. 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE   MEXICAN   WAR.       271 


COL.  JOHN  WILLIAM  JOHNSTON. 


John  W.  Johnston,  the  ninth  son  of  Alexander 
Johnston,  Esq.,  deceased,  of  Kingston  House,  on 
the  Loyalhanna,  in  Unity  Township,  was  born  at 
the  homestead  of  his  father,  on  the  22nd  of  May, 
1820.  His  father  removing  to  Greensburg  in  a 
few  years  thereafter,  the  first  schooling  he  received 
was  in  the  county  town,  which  at  that  time  offered 
superior  advantages  for  a  good  and  substantial  edu 
cation.  About  the  time  he  attained  his  majority 
he  entered  into  the  mercantile  business  in  Clarion 
county,  Pa.,  in  which  he  continued  about  one  year, 
when  he  came  back  to  Kingston.  He  remained 
there  on  the  farm  a  short  time,  when  being  appoin 
ted  deputy  sheriff  under  Michael  Hays,  he  removed 
again  to  Greensburg.  He  continued  in  this  capacity 
from  1843  to  J846.  In  1846,  the  war  with  Mexico 
occurring,  he  volunteered  in  the  company  raised  in 
the  county  for  service,  called  the  "Westmoreland 
Guards,"  and  was  unanimously  elected  its  captain. 
As  its  commanding  officer,  his  public  service  in  that 
campaign,  are  so  identified  with  the  services  of  the 
company,  that  to  give  one,  would  be  to  give  the 
other  from  necessity. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Capt.  Johnston  enga- 


272      INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

ged  in  the  wholesale  grocery  business  in  Pittsburg, 
but  not  continuing  any  length  of  time  in  this  calling, 
he  left  it,  when  he  become  a  contractor  in  the  con 
struction  of  the  Allegheny  Valley  railroad.  On 
this  road  he  continued  some  two  years,  when  he 
took  a  more  extensive  contract  in  the  construction 
of  the  Iron  Mountain  railroad,  in  Missouri.  On 
this  road  he  was  engaged  for  five  years. 

Returning  to  Pennsylvania  in  1858,  he  remain 
ed  at  Kingston  House,  until  the  breaking  out  of 
the  civil  war.  On  the  first  call  for  volunteers  he 
enlisted  with  his  neighbors  in  the  company  raised 
about  Youngstown,  for  three  months'  service.  He 
asked  for  no  office,  but  the  out-spoken  choice  of  his 
comrades,  with  whom  he  was  personally  acquainted, 
for  their  captain,  was  for  him.  As  captain  of  Com 
pany  G,  Fourteenth  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers,  he  took  the  command  to  Harrisburg,  where 
they  were  sworn  into  service,  and  where  the  regi 
mental  officers  were  elected. 

On  the  organization  of  his  regiment,  he  was 
made  its  colonel.  This  regiment  was  attached  to 
Gen.  Patterson's  command,  which  had  control  of 
the  Shenandoah  Valley.  The  only  place  in  which 
the  army  was  engaged  in  the  campaign  was  at  Fall 
ing  Water,  and  here  the  Fourteenth  first  manifested 
that  soldierly  bearing,  which  they  afterwards  sus 
tained  on  many  hard-fought  fields,  in  various  com 
mands. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  three  months'  service, 
Col.  Johnston  entered  the  ninety-third  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  (raised  chiefly  in  Lebanon  county)  as 
its  Lieutenant-colonel.  He  was  offered  its  colonelcy 
but  this  he  declined  in  favor  of  Col.  McCarter,  un 
der  motives  of  personal  considerations.  He  served 
under  the  last  enlistment  over  two  years,  and  then 
resigned.  The  service  of  this  regiment,  during 
the  time  Col.  Johnston  was  connected  with  it,  part 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      273 

of  the  time  of  which  it  was  under  his  personal  com 
mand,  are  traceable  through  the  services  of  Gen. 
Couch's  and  Gen.  Casey's  divisions  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac. 

Since  his  services  in  the  army  he  has  resi 
ded  at  the  old  homestead,  Kingston  House,  and 
has  settled  down  to  the  quieter  and  more  peaceable 
occupation  of  the  farmer. 

The  wife  of  Col.  J.  W.  Johnston,  was  Miss 
Rebecca  Byerly.  They  were  married  in  1867,  and 
have  a  living  family  of  two  children,  a  son,  and  a 
daughter. 

The  above  account  was  taken  from  the  History 
of  Westmoreland  County,  written  by  G.  Dallas  Al 
bert,  Esq.,  since  which  time  Col.  Johnston  passed 
the  line  which  separates  Time  from  Eternity,  having 
died  at  his  home  at  Kingston,  on  December  17,  1902, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  new  St.  Clair  cemetery, 
near  Greensburg. 

Having  been  on  friendly  terms  of  acquaint 
anceship  with  Colonel  Johnston  for  over  fifty  years, 
we  can  bear  witness  to  his  honesty,  integrity  and 
and  good  citizenship,  as  well  as  to  his  courage  and 
gallantry  upon  the  field  of  battle.  Col.  Johnston 
was  a  good  man,  and  the  world  was  better  that  he 
lived. 

(By  the  Author.) 


274      INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


BACK  IN  MEXICO. 


In  February,  1901,  the  author  accompanied  by 
his  grandson,  Mr.  Homer  George,  a  Pittsburg 
business  man,  left  the  Smoky  City  for  a  trip  through 
Mexico,  with  the  intention  of  visiting  the  battle 
fields  where  he  had  fought  some  fifty-four  years 
before.  The  trip  was  taken  by  the  way  of  New 
Orleans,  which  place  was  reached  without  accident 
worthy  of  note.  While  at  this  famous  city  we 
had  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  the  celebration  of 
the  Mardi  Gras. 

We  spent  several  days  in  New  Orleans  viewing 
sights  of  interest,  among  which  was  the  old  Spanish 
prison  and  Spanish  court,  where  we  saw  the  old 
wooden  stocks  that  are  still  used  at  times.  The 
old  buildings  are  wonderful  specimens  of  architec 
ture,  and  are  well  preserved,  although  the  date  of 
the  laying  of  their  corner  stones  is  lost  in  the  dim  ob 
scurity  of  the  distant  past.  We,  also,  visited  the 
barracks,  which  are  situated  a  short  distance  from 
the  city,  along  the  Mississippi  river.  These  bar 
racks  are  quite  different  to  those  I  had  seen  some 
fifty-four  years  before,  being  more  modern  and  bet 
ter  suited  for  the  purpose  intended. 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      275 

We  left  New  Orleans  by  the  way  of  the  "Sun 
set. Route,"  through  Texas,  finally  arriving  at  San 
Antonio.  Leaving  the  main  line  there,  and  taking 
a  southern  course,  we  entered  Mexico  by  the  way 
of  the  Eagle  Pass.  This  being  our  first  entrance 
into  a  foreign  country,  the  first  thing  in  order  was  to 
submit  to  an  examination  of  both  ourselves,  and 
our  baggage,  by  Mexican  custom  house  officers, 
who  attended  to  this  duty  in  old  time  style. 

After  the  officials  were  satisfied  that  we  had 
nothing  contraband  or  dutiable  with  us,  we  were 
permitted  to  continue  on  our  way,  but  before  go 
ing  farther  we  exchanged  some  of  Uncle  Sam's 
good,  sound  dollars  for  Mexican  money,  which  we 
used  while  in  that  country.  We  might  say  here, 
that  in  making  this  exchange  of  currency  we  were 
given  nearly  two  dollars  of  Mexican  money  for 
one  dollar  of  United  States  money,  and  we  might 
farther,  state  that  when  we  returned  to  our  own 
country,  we  had  to  make  another  exchange,  giv 
ing  nearly  two  dollars  for  one. 

After  having  supplied  ourselves  with  the  coin 
of  the  realm  we  continued  on  toward  Monterey, 
reaching  that  city  nine  days  after  leaving  Pittsburg. 
Monterey  is  a  city  of  some  75,000  inhabitants,  and 
has  many  points  of  interest,  but  as  we  wished  to 
reach  Saltillo  that  night,  we  made  but  a  brief  stop 
there. 

When  we  reached  Saltillo,  we  felt  that  we  were, 
indeed,  "strangers  in  a  strange  land,"  and  after  con 
siderable  trouble  we  found  a  place  to  lodge,  and 
where  we  enjoyed  a  goods  night's  rest,  which  re 
freshed  us  for  enjoying  sight-seeing  the  next  morn 
ing.  The  first  place  to  engage  our  attention  was 
the  battle  field  of  Buena  Vista,  which  is  located 
some  three  miles  from  Saltillo.  The  only  manner 
of  reaching  this  point  from  the  city  was  to  drive  or 
walk,  and  we  chose  the  former,  riding  there  in  an 


276      INCIDENTS   OF    THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

old  time  coach,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  burros  not  much 
larger,  seemingly,  than  good-sized  goats. 

Arriving  at  the  battle  ground  we  found  that  it 
is  owned  and  occupied  by  a  Mexican  ranchman, 
who  received  us  with  the  utmost  cordiality,  and  who 
kindly  escorted  us  over  the  once  bloody  fields.  One 
of  the  most  important  points  of  this  interesting  ter 
ritory,  is  embraced  in  the  ranchman's  garden,  and 
it  was  at  this  point  that  the  hardest  contested  fight 
occurred.  In  the  center  of  the  garden  there  is  a 
spring  which  furnished  water  for  General  Wool's 
command.  We  enjoyed  a  draught  of  the  cool,  re 
freshing  waters,  the  same  as  I  had  enjoyed  54  years 
before,  when  the  surroundings  were  stained  with 
the  blood  of  friend  and  foe.. 

This  garden  had  been  freshly  plowed  for 
what  we  at  home  would  call  our  "spring  crop,"  and 
in  looking  over  the  ground  we  could  see  here  and 
there,  the  remaining  bones  of  some  of  the  fallen 
participants  of  the  battle,  which  had  occurred  over 
a  half-century  before.  After  fully  satisfying  our 
curiosity  by  all  that  is  to  be  seen  on  the  battle  field, 
and  as  we  were  about  ready  to  return,  we  met  a 
woman  who,  as  we  were  told,  had  already  passed 
her  one-hundred  and  eighth  year,  and  who  looked 
to  be  able  to  pass  fifty  more.  This  aged  lady  makes 
a  business  of  hunting  relics  on  the  battle  field,  which 
she  sells  to  visitors. 

After  partaking  of  a  dinner  served  in  Mexican 
style,  we  left  our  host  and  returned  to  Saltillo,  where 
we  remained  over  Sunday.  One  of  the  principal 
Sunday  amusements  in  Saltillo,  is  the  bull  fight. 
On  this  occasion  it  was  something  beyond  the  ordi 
nary,  as  it  was  for  the  championship.  We  will  not 
enter  into  the  disgusting  details,  but  the  reader  can 
infer  that  it  was  a  warm  affair,  when  we  state  that 
one  gladiator  was  killed  outright,  several  injured, 
while  six  bulls  and  ten  horses  were  sacrificed. 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      277 

These  brutal  displays  are  attended  by  all  classes  of 
the  people,  the  lovely  senoras  displaying  their  fine 
feathers,  as  they  are,  usually,  clothed  in  bright  col 
ored  silks. 

Leaving  Saltillo,  we  passed  back  through  Mon 
terey,  arriving  the  next  morning  at  Terreon,  where 
we  met  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wallace,  a  missionary  who  was 
born  and  raised  in  New  Alexandria,  Pa.  Mr.  Wal 
lace  was  the  first  American  we  had  met,  and  we  be 
gan  to  be  comforted  with  the  thought  we  were 
not  altogether  lost.  We  enjoyed  our  stay  at  Ter 
reon  very  much,  as  our  host,  Rev.  Mr.  Wallace, 
and  his  friend  Linn,  a  Chinese  M.  D.,  who  could 
speak  the  English  language,  took  much  interest  in 
showing  us  the  country,  and  making  life  pleasant 
for  us. 

Leaving  Terreon  in  the  evening  we  took  a 
night  train  for  Chihuahua.  Our  way  lay  through 
the  sand-hills,  which  proved  to  be  a  most  unpleas 
ant  portion  of  our  trip.  The  sand  is  so  fine  that  it 
can  penetrate  the  smallest  crevice  of  the  car  win 
dows,  and  proves  very  annoying.  It  has  one  pecu 
liarity,  however,  which  makes  it  different  from  the 
sands  of  many  other  places,  it  will  not  stick  to  cloth 
ing,  but  is  readily  brushed  off. 

We  arrived  in  Chihuahua  in  the  morning,  which 
was  bright  with  clear  sunshine,  the  thermometer 
registering  at  125  degrees.  After  enjoying  a  rest 
until  noon,  and  partaking  of  some  food,  we  pre 
pared  to  make  an  excursion  to  the  battle  field  of 
Sacramento.  This  was  the  point  we  desired  to 
reach  the  next  day,  which  was  the  fifty-fourth  an 
niversary  of  that  battle. 

In  the  city  of  Chihuahua,  we  met  Rev.  James 
D.  Eaton,  of  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Mis 
sions,  who,  together  with  members  of  his  family 
accompanied  us  to  the  territory  made  famous  by  the 
struggle  of  a  band  of  heroes,  pitted  against  many 


278       INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR. 

times  their  number.  The  next  morning  we  rode  out 
on  a  train  to  our  destination.  The  hills  have  not 
changed,  and  I  could  readily  locate  the  route  of  the 
inarch  myself  and  comrades,  under  Colonel  Doni- 
phan,  had  taken  fifty-four  years  before.  The  re 
doubts  were  still  there,  thirteen  in  number,  and  al 
most  as  perfect  as  when  Colonel  Doniphan  and  Tiis 
brave  men  came  marching  down  the  valley,  bearing 
the  Stars  and  Stripes. 


Meeting  a  Former  Foe. 

After  finishing  our  sight-seeing  on  the  battle 
ground,  we  went  to  the  nearby  town  of  Sacramento, 
where  we  met  an  old  Mexican  soldier,  who  owns 
the  ground  of  the  battle  field.  We  found  him  a 
pleasant  and  agreeable  gentleman  and  through  Rev. 
Mr.  Eaton,  who  acted  as  an  interpreter,  I  had  quite 
a  social  chat  with  my  old  time  foe.  This  man's 
name  is  Lerandro  Talvera.  He  was  born  on  March 
13,  1822,  which  makes  him  my  senior  by  a  few 
months.  After  a  pleasant  talk  together,  we  sat  down 
upon  chairs,  on  the  same  ground  where  a  half- 
century  before  we  had  striven  to  take  each  other's 
life,  and  had  our  portraits  taken,  a  copy  of  which 
appears  in  connection  with  this  article. 

This  incident  was  one  of  extremely  rare  oc 
currence.  Two  men,  representatives  of  two  nations, 
and  of  two  armies,  who  had  met  as  deadly  foes, 
in  the  battle  of  Sacramento,  on  February  28,  1847, 
now  meet  after  fifty-four  years  had  sped  their  way 
into  the  eternity  of  the  past,  as  friends,  to  talk  over 
the  incidents  of  that  conflict,  and  not  only  to  meet, 
but  to  meet  on  the  very  ground  which  was  the 
arena  of  the  struggle. 

My  old  foe  and  myself  had  long  since  buried 
every  feeling  of  resentment  and  met  as  friends, 
and  while  in  the  Mexican's  heart  he  may  have  re- 


Old  Toes  Meet  svs  Friends. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN  WAR.      279 

gretted  that  the  Mexican  army  had  not  been  victor 
ious,  he  showed  his  good  will,  by  making  our  brief 
stay  as  comfortable  as  possible,  and  when  we  were 
ready,  had  us  conveyed  to  the  station,  some  three 
miles  away,  in  his  carriage.  When  we  had  arrived 
at  the  station,  which  is  named,  "Coroll,"  Rev.  Mr. 
Eaton  ordered  a  Mexican  lunch,  which  consisted  of 
torqueoious  freols,  haut  tamalies,  which  were  ser 
ved  on  a  wood  pile,  and  which  did  not  look  very 
clean  or  inviting,  but  which  tasted  quite  sweetly  to 
hungry  men.  We  then  returned  to  Chihuahua, 
where  we  spent  several  days  sight-seeing.  Among 
other  things  of  interest  we  found  the  old  bull-pen 
which  we  had  used  as  headquarters  at  the  time  of  the 
war,  and  I  could  readily  point  out  the  spot  where 
I  had  slept  many  nights  during  that  time.  This 
bull-pen  is  still  used  for  the  amusement  of  the  peo 
ple  of  the  city,  and  as  there  was  to  be  a  bull  fight 
on  the  coming  Sunday  we  received  a  pressing  invi 
tation  to  be  present,  but  as  we  had  seen  one  of  these 
brutal  encounters  between  man  and  beast,  we  did 
not  care  to  witness  another,  and  respectfully  de 
clined.  We  also  visited  the  old  acqueduct  which 
was  used  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  the  city  with 
water  at  the  time  of  the  war,  and  for  which  purpose 
it  is  still  used.  It  is  well  preserved  and  is  a  quite 
ancient  specimen  of  architecture.  Chihuahua  is  a 
progressive  city,  having  ice  plants,  electric  light 
plants,  and  everything  which  characterizes  an  up- 
to-date  people. 

While  there  we  visited  Hidalgo's  monument, 
which  is  an  imposing  shaft,  and  which  was  erected 
on  the  very  spot  where  he  was  executed.  We  found 
the  Mexicans  warm  hearted  and  impulsive.  If  they 
take  a  liking  to  an  American,  they  will  do  all  pos 
sible  for  him,  but  if,  on  the  contrary,  they  take  a  dis 
like,  they  will  act  in  a  manner  directly  opposite, 
and  do  all  possible  to  injure  him.  The  senoras, 


280      INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

the  ladies,  of  Mexico  are  of  small  stature,  dark  com 
plected  with  rosy  cheeks  and  dark  eyes.  They 
possess  deep  passions,  and  when  they  love  they  are 
devoted,  but  when  they  hate,  they  do  so  with  all  the 
intensity  of  their  natures. 

While  visiting  Rev.  Mr.  Eaton,  who  is  a  master 
of  the  Spanish  and  Mexican  languages,  and  who 
possesses  a  well  filled  library  in  these  tongues,  he 
read  us  an  account  of  the  battle  of  Sacramento, 
from  a  Mexican  stand  point.  This  he  read  from  a 
Mexican  history  and  which  he  translated  into  Eng 
lish  for  our  benefit.  The  historical  writer  tolls  of 
the  preparation  that  had  been  made  to  capture  the 
Americans,  and  how  absolutely  certain  they  were 
of  an  easy  conquest,  and  then  goes  on  in  lamenta 
tion  of  their  utter  route  and  defeat.  Among  other 
preparations,  the  Mexicans  had  provided  two  wag 
ons,  loaded  with  ropes,  cut  into  suitable  lengths, 
for  the  purpose  of  tying  the  Americans,  so  that  in 
that  condition  they  could  be  driven  into  the  city  of 
Mexico  as  prisoners.  He,  also,  told  of  the  number 
of  men  in  the  Mexican  ranks,  and  seemed  to  think 
it  a  matter  of  deep  regret,  that  they  had  been  con 
quered  by  so  few  Americans. 

We  left  Chihuahua  and  began  our  homeward 
journey,  leaving  Mexico  by  the  way  of  El  Paso, 
where  we  had  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  Uncle  Sam's 
Custom  House  officials,  who  carefully  searched  us 
in  the  most  scientific  style.  We  came  home  by  the 
way  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka,  and  Santa  Fe  route, 
stopping  at  various  points  of  interest  along  the 
road,  and  finally  arriving  at  Pittsburg  after  a  very 
pleasant  trip. 


A  FEW  BRIEF  YEARS. 


A  few  brief  years  and  I  shall  lie 

Beneath  yon  calm  and  peaceful  sky, 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      281 

Whose  breast  is  bright  with  notes  and  bars, 
And  laughing  music  of  the  stars — 

Whose  bosom,  spread  from  pole  to  pole, 
In  silence  will  my  grave  console. 

With  straightened  limbs  my  shade  will  rest, 
My  head  against  my  coffin  pressed ; 

And  hour  by  hour,  and  day  by  day, 
My  wasted  bones  will  pass  away. 

This   hand  that   writes   will   then  be  cold. 

And  shrunk  and  eaten  with  the  mold 
Of  time  and  death  and  dark  decay, 

Till  joint  by  joint  returns  to  clay. 

The  dread,  the  fear,  the  torment  sore, 

Will  rend  my  heart-strings  never  more ; 

No  human  wiles  nor  worldly  strife, 
To  barely  win  the  bread  of  life, 

Will  ne'er  within  my  narrow  bed, 

Disturb   or   wake   my   wearied   head. 

A  thousand  years  will  pass  me  by, 
Without  a  change  in  land  or  sky ; 

Nor  winter's  snow,  nor  summer's  heat, 
Will   e'er  disturb  my  winding  sheet. 

At  evening's  close  I'll  meet  no  more 

The  smiles  that  waits  me  at  the  door; 

The  hills  and  dales  and  streams  will  be 
All  mute  for  evermore  to  me. 

No  morn  will  wake  me  at  its  dawn ; 

No  more  on  mead  or  field  or  lawn, 
When  landscapes  smile  beneath  the  sun, 

Will  romping  childhood  to  me  run. 


232      INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

My  span  of  life,  my  humble  lot, 

Like  friendship's  vows  will  be  forgot; 

And  all  the  world  will  live  the  same 
As  if  I  never  had  a  name. 

—Hugh  F.  McDermott. 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.      283 


LOOKING  FORWARD. 


"The  sunset  of  life  gives  me  mystical  lore, 
And  coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before." 

The  above  language  of  the  poet  may  be  quoted 
in  this  connection,  as  it  is  my  wish  to  here  make  a 
prediction,  that  before  many  cycles  of  years  have 
rolled  around,  the  United  States  will  have  extended 
her  borders  sufficiently  to  embrace  the  country  of 
Mexico. 

The  causes  that  will  operate  to  this  end  are  now 
in  full  force :  Many  Americans  are  settling  in  that 
territory,  while  many  have  their  capital  invested 
in  Mexican  railroads  and  other  improvements. 
These  Americans  will  always  feel  a  sympathy  for 
their  native  land,  and  realize  the  great  advantage 
of  being  part  and  parcel  of  the  "greatest  nation  on 
earth,"  when  they  have  gained  sufficient  power  and 
numbers,  they  will  naturally  influence  others,  and 
the  result  will  be  annexation,  and  when  that  time 
shall  have  come  and  not  until  then,  when  the  Ameri 
can  Eagle  shall  scream  the  notes  of  liberty  from  the 
mountain  tops,  and  the  Starry  Banner  shall  wave 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  guaran 
teeing  to  all  the  blessings  of  freedom  and  equality, 


284      INCIDENTS    OF    THE    MEXCAN    WAR. 

we  repeat,  not  until  then  shall  Mexico  enter  upon 
an  upward  career  that  will  make  her  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  lands  under  the  sun. 

This  is  inevitable,  as  we  view  it,  and  it  is  our  ear 
nest  belief  that  there  are  persons  now  living  who 
will  see  this  prediction  verified. 


Several  Recollections. 

That  the  Mexicans  are  not  ungrateful  for  kind 
ness  shown,  was  evidenced  by  the  actions  of  a 
couple  to  whom  the  author  had  been  able  to  extend 
the  courtesy  of  charity.  We  had  captured  the  city 
of  Santa  Fe,  and  had  a  number  of  prisoners  over 
whom  I  was  stationed  as  a  guard,  with  orders  to 
permit  no  one  to  hold  communication  with  the  men 
in  the  guard-house.  While  standing  there,  a  fair 
senora  came  up  and  asked  the  privilege  of  speaking 
a  few  words  with  her  husband.  At  first  I  sternly 
refused,  but  when  she  wept,  and  plead  with  me 
through  her  tears,  my  heart  overcome  the  discipline 
of  the  soldier,  and  I  told  her  to  pass  in.  After  a 
few  moments  conversation  with  her  husband,  she 
left,  after  giving  me  her  warmest  thanks. 

A  few  days  later,  after  I  had  forgotten  the 
occurrence,  I  was  walking  along  the  street,  when 
I  met  the  same  woman  and  her  husband,  who  had 
been  discharged  from  prison.  They  came  to  me 
and  made  the  utmost  protestations  of  their  gratitude, 
and  seizing  me  by  the  arms,  insisted  that  I  should 
accompany  them.  I  yielded,  and  our  way  led  us 
to  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  and  as  I  went  along  I 
began  to  wonder  if  it  were  wise  on  my  part,  to  thus 
place  myself  in  their  power.  However,  upon  reach 
ing  their  home,  my  mind  was  soon  relieved,  as  the 
kind  hearted  creatures  gave  me  the  best  possible  meal 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      285 

in  their  power,  and  assured  me  of  their  undying 
friendship. 


While  in  Monterey,  on  our  journey  home 
ward,  an  incident  occurred  which  shows  how  de 
plorable  the  men  under  Col.  Doniphan  looked  in 
their  ragged  costumes,  with  long,  flowing  hair  and 
beards. 

A  squad  of  us  were  passing  along  the  street, 
when  we  were  halted  by  a  guard,  who  inquired  who 
we  were.  When  he  was  told  that  we  belonged  to 
Doniphan's  command,  he  refused  to  believe  it,  and 
charged  us  with  being  Arabs  and  scalawags,  at 
tempting  to  pass  ourselves  as  Americans. 

We  certainly  presented  a  sorry  looking  specta 
cle  after  our  long  march,  without  money  or  clothing; 
and  the  guard's  mistake  was  but  natural. 


286       INCIDENTS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 


HENRY  T.  OGDEN. 


Henry  T.  Ogden  of  Company  C,  First  Missouri 
Cavalry,  was  born  in  Bracken  county,  Kentucky, 
March  13,  1823.  At  an  early  age  he  learned  the 
art  of  printing,  at  Lexington,  Kentucky.  In  1844 
he  was  connected  with  Basil  D.  Crookshank,  in  pub 
lishing  "The  Spirit  of  '44,"  a  Democratic  campaign 
paper,  at  Maysville,  Ky.  From  there  he  went  to 
Liberty,  Clay  county,  Misssouri,  where  he  establish 
ed  the  "Liberty  Tribune."  In  the  spring  of  1846, 
volunteers  were  called  for,  when  he  enlisted  in  the 
First  Missouri  Cavalry,  under  Colonel  Alexander 
W.  Doniphan. 

He  was  promoted  from  a  Second  Sergeant  to 
a  Lieutenancy,  the  following  September,  and  parti 
cipated  in  all  the  battles  in  which  his  regiment  was 
engaged.  He  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  New 
Orleans,  in  1847.  He  did  not  return  to  Missouri, 
but  went  to  Cincinnatti,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
printing  business.  He  was  married  in  Cincinnatti 
in  1850,  at  which  city  he  is  now  located.  He  was 
among  the  pioneers  in  the  formation  of  the  Typo 
graphical  Union,  having  been  the  president  of  the 
old  Franklin  Society,  and  was  also  president  of 
No.  3  of  the  new  order.  For  some  forty  years  he 


PRESIDENT  J.  T.  OGDEN. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      287 

was  manager  of  the  printing  business  of  the  well 
known  Robert  Clarke  Company,  the  chief  book  pub 
lishing  house  of  Cincinnatti. 

Mr.  Ogden  has  retired  from  active  business 
and  resides  in  Norwood,  the  chief  suburb  of  Cin 
cinnatti.  In  1903  he  served  very  acceptably,  as 
president  of  the  National  Association  of  Mexican 
War  Veterans. 


288      INCIDENTS  OF  THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 


BATTLE  OF  SAN  JACINTO. 


The  battle  of  San  Jacinto,  and  the  capture  of 
Santa  Anna,  which  secured  the  independence  of 
Texas,  was  a  remarkable  conflict  in  which  a  small 
body  of  men  met  and  defeated  many  times  their 
number.  The  following  brief  account  of  this  bat 
tle  we  glean  from  the  biography  of  General  Sam 
Houston,  who  commanded  the  Texans. : 

Houston  was  in  Arkansas  in  1832,  when  the 
movement  for  independence  by  Texas  attracted  him, 
and  he  joined  the  revolutionists,  and  was  made 
General  of  a  military  district  and  later  Comman- 
ded-in-chief  of  the  Texas  army.  March  10,  1836, 
found  him  Commander  of  an  army  of  347  men,  un 
organized,  poorly  armed  and  without  supplies. 
The  Mexicans  had  just  taken  the  Alamo  and  mas 
sacred  its  garrison  of  170  men,  and  5,000  were  ap 
proaching  under  Santa  Anna.  At  first  there  was 
a  panic,  but  it  ended  by  Houston's  masterful  in 
fluence.  He  retired  to  the  Colorado,  and  ordered 
Col.  Fannin,  stationed  at  Goliad,  with  500  men, 
to  join  him.  Fannin  attempted  to  do  so,  but  was  in 
tercepted  and  357  of  his  men  massacred.  Santa 
Anna  marched  on,  burning  as  he  moved.  At  last 
Houston  was  able  to  meet  him  on  the  San  Jacinto 


INCIDENTS   OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      289 

with  783  men  and  two  little  six-pounders.  The 
Americans  attacked  with  fury  and  utterly  routed  the 
Mexicans,  of  whom  they  killed  630  and  captured 
about  800,  with  a  loss  of  only  8  killed  and  25  woun 
ded.  Santa  Anna,  himself,  was  captured  in  the  dis 
guise  of  a  common  soldier,  and  brought  before 
Houston,  who  protected  him  from  the  wrath  of  the 
Texans,  but  compelled  him  to  sign  a  treaty  which 
secured  the  independence  of  Texas.  Houston  be 
came  President  of  Texas,  and  held  that  office  dur 
ing  the  stormy  and  turbulent  years  of  the  new  Re 
public's  beginning.  His  arministration  was  remark 
ably  firm  and  successful,  and  it  was  through  his  in 
fluence  that  Texas  became  one  of  the  United  States. 


290      INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 


RESULTS  OF  THE  WAR. 


The  author  has  about  completed  the  work  he 
has  undertaken,  and  the  word  "finis"  will  soon  be 
written  as  a  close  to  "Incidents  of  the  Mexican 
War,"  but  before  laying  his  pen  asside  he  desires  to 
briefly  notice  the  results  of  that  struggle. 

President  Polk,  in  his  message  of  December 
5,  1848,  said :  "Within  less  than  four  years  the  an 
nexation  of  Texas  to  the  Union  has  been  consum 
mated;  all  conflicting  titles  to  the  Oregon  territory 
south  of  49th  deg.  of  the  North  latitude  have  been 
adjusted,  and  New  Mexico  and  California  have  been 
acquired  by  treaty.  The  area  of  these  several  ter 
ritories,  according  to  a  report  carefully  prepared 
by  the  Commissioners  of  the  General  Land  Office 
from  the  most  authenticated  information  in  his  pos 
session,  contains  1,193,061  square  miles,  or  763,359,- 
040  acres ;  while  the  area  of  the  twenty-nine  States 
and  the  Unorganized  territories  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  contains  2,050,513  square  miles  or,  I,- 
318,126,058  acres  *'  *  with  the  addition  of  the  last 
acquisitions,  flie  United  States  are  now  (in  1848) 
estimated  to  be  nearly  as  large  as  the  whole  of 
Europe."  (Doc.  No.  i.  3Oth  Congress.) 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR.      291 

Soon  after  their  annexation,  however,  the  value 
of  his  acquisition  was  revealed  to  the  conqueror. 
Rich  mines  were  exploited  and  their  wealth  was  di 
rected  in  all  the  channels  of  enterprise  and  labor. 
Their  valleys  were  soon  teeming  with  harvests; 
flocks  grazed  upon  their  mountains,  cities  sprung 
up  with  manufactures  and  with  commerce  spreading 
out  among  the  nations  on  the  Pacific ;  and  railroads 
stretched  their  long  lines  across  the  continent  and 
brought  the  vast  gold  productions  of  the  West  to 
nourish  and  enlarge  the  multiplied  industries  of 
the  East.  New  paths  and  highways  were  opened 
around  the  world  for  commerce  and  the  traveler, 
and  vast  populations  grew  up  with  the  variety  of 
enterprise  and  labor  and  all  conveniences  of  social 
life.  Besides  these  other  productions,  more  than 
$4,000,000,000  of  the  precious  metals,  have  been 
poured  from  their  mines  into  channels  of  industry — 
extending  and  ramifying  through  all  the  correspon 
dences  of  the  world ;  nor  has  this  been  done  after  the 
tedious  toil  of  ages,  nor  by  oppressed  generations ; 
but  before  our  very  eyes  this  pleasing  transformation 
has  been  going  on.  Unlike  ancient  conquerors 
who  found  gardens  before  and  left  desolation  be 
hind,  our  armies  conquered  a  wilderness,  and  be 
hold  it  is  transformed,  as  if  by  enchantment,  into  an 
outstretched  empire,  with  cities  and  fields  and  gar 
dens  and  all  the  arts  of  civilized  life.  The  wisdom 
of  the  policy  of  President  Polk  that  inspired  the  an 
nexation  of  Texas  has  been  verified  and  sanctioned 
by  the  wonderful  results  that  have  grown  out  of  it. 
The  Mexican  veterans,  men  with  scars  of  honor, 
and  their  dead  comrades,  were  the  chief  factors  in 
that  war,  so  bloody  in  action,  and  so  fruitful  of 
grand  results.  Their  achievements  are  as  pearl's 
set  in  the  casket  of  history.  Its  pages  are  brighten 
ed  by  the  gallantry  and  glory  associated  with  the 
names  of  Palo  Alto,  Reasaca  de  la  Palma,  Gordo, 


292      INCIDENTS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   WAR. 

Cherubusco,  Contreras,  Molino  del  Rey,  Chapult- 
pec,  Sacramento,  and  the  gates  around  the  city  of 
the  Montezumas. 

The  results  of  this  policy  of  Mr.  Folk's  admin 
istration,  coupled  with  the  achievements  of  our 
soldiers  in  Mexico,  and  subsequent  developements, 
have  made  prophetic  the  remarks  of  the  gifted 
statesman,  Thomas  H.  Benton,  who,  standing  on 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  pointing  toward 
the  setting  sun,  said :  "Yonder  is  the  road  to  the 
East!"  Truly,  the  Pacific,  and  not  the  Atlantic,  is 
now  the  highway  of  the  East.  In  length  and  breadth, 
almost  half  of  a  continent,  their  strong  arms  and 
brave  hearts  secured  to  our  Government.  In  height 
of  mountain  and  depth  of  valley;  in  the  variety  of 
soil  and  climate  and  in  beauty  and  grandeur  of 
scenery,  it  is  unsurpassed.  This  policy  and  grand 
achievements  unlocked  the  coffers  of  Nature's 
richest  and  grandest  bank — a  bank  that  has  always 
paid  in  coin  the  reward  of  labor,  at  its  honest  coun 
ter,  and  never  suspends.  Yes,  a  policy  and  achieve 
ment  that  opened  the  golden  lips  of  California,  and 
unloosed  the  silvery  tongue  of  Nevada,  that  they 
might  clink  their  praises  to  the  echo,  as  music  for 
future  history.  Such  grand  material  results  have 
not  been  surpassed  by  the  prowess  of  men  and  the 
policy  of  government  in  ancient  or  modern  times. 

Although  Alexander,  with  his  flaming  sword 
of  conquest,  swept,  comet  like,  to  Indus  through  the 
gorgeous  East,  gathering  coin  in  untold  millions, 
capturing  countless  prisoners,  and  subduing  vast 
empires,  yet  his  coin  was  squandered  in  bacchana 
lian  revels,  his  captives  became  slaves,  and  conquer 
ed  empires,  though  desolated,  soon  passed  from  un 
der  his  dominant  scepter,  and  although  by  this  dar 
ing  enterprise  Asia  and  the  East  were  interwoven 
with  Europe  and  Greece,  yet  the  rebound  crushed 
the  free  Greek  communities  and  entombed  Demo- 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE  MEXICAN  WAR.      293 

cratic  progress  and  liberty;  and  without  universally 
diffusing  Hellenic  culture  in  the  East,  Macedonia 
and  Hellas  became  Asiaticised. 

This  conquest,  vast  as  it  was,  is  not  comparable 
in  extent  of  territory  or  boundless  wealth  with  that 
conquest  upon  the  toil  and  suffering  of  the  Ameri 
can  soldiers  in  the  Mexican  War.  Instead  of  op 
pression,  it  extended  protection  and  peace  to  the  con 
quered,  while  the  uncultivated  territory  it  subdued 
sprung  like  magic  into  an  Hesperides,  with  its  gol 
den  fruit.  Napoleon,  too,  crushed  empires  and 
made  toys  of  kings,  and  his  genius  and  ambition, 
riding  upon  the  waves  of  conquest,  brought  into 
France  power  and  extended  domain — yet  they  van 
ished  with  the  man ;  and  while  Marengo,  and  Lodi, 
and  Austerlitz  shine  in  the  galaxy  of  military 
achievements,  their  fruits  were  evanescent.  But 
Monterey,  Buena  Vista,  Cerro  Gordo,  and  battles 
around  the  city,  brought  with  them  an  empire  in 
territory,  and  with  it  prosperity  and  permanent 
peace.  Hannibal,  in  all  his  grand  campaigns  and 
brilliant  strategy,  even  with  the  aid  of  Punic  faith, 
never  so  enriched  Carthage  as  did  the  scarred  vete 
rans  of  the  Mexican  war,  and  their  dead  comrades 
enrich  this  favored  land. 

The  war  with  Mexico,  with  its  privations  and 
hardships,  is  but  little  understood,  and  too  frequent 
ly  misrepresented.  An  instance  of  this  kind  occur 
red  in  the  publication  of  the  following,  under  the 
head  of  "A  Picnic  War,"  in  the  "Ohio  State  Jour 
nal  :" 

"The  Mexican  war  was  looked  upon  by  those 
who  took  part  in  it  as  rather  a  pleasant  sort  of  a 
picnic.  The  service  was  not  severe.  The  climate 
was  mild,  and  there  was  no  exhaustive  marches,  and 
comparatively  few  suffered  from  the  casualties  of 
the  war." 


294      INCIDENTS   OF  THE   MEXICAN  WAR. 

To  which  the  Cleveland  Voice,  the  best  and 
most  influential  Sunday  journal  in  Ohio,  responded 
as  follows: 

The  editor  of  the  Journal  must  have  a  very 
forgetful  memory  of  history  to  call  the  war  with 
Mexico  "a  pleasant  sort  of  a  picnic."  The  war  lasted 
from  1846  to  1848,  including  about  two  years  of 
time,  during  which  period  more  than  fifty  bloody 
battles  were  fought,  in  every  instance,  with  superior 
forces,  and  often  with  an  enemy  strongly  entrenched 
behind  heavy  fortifications.  Many  of  our  troops 
marched  several  thousand  miles  over  hot  sand  and 
lava  beds,  and  this,  too,  in  a  foreign  country,  in  a 
hot  climate,  where  often  there  was  little  or  no  water 
to  quench  the  thirst  of  man  or  beast;  yes,  where 
fleas  were  constant  terror  to  sleep;  the  tarantu 
la,  the  rattlesnake  and  the  scorpion  were  a  daily 
and  nightly  menace,  where  yellow  fever  and  black 
vomit  were  an  epidemic  and  constantly  depleted 
the  population ;  where  diseases  were  contracted  that 
in  a  few  years  after  the  war  had  taken  from  their 
homes  more  than  half  of  those  who  returned.  In 
deed,  a  fine  "pic-nic"  it  was !  Whether  or  not  a 
pension  is  to  be  given  the  men,  who,  in  this  war, 
faced  death  in  a  hundred  ways,  does  not  belittle  the 
hardships,  the  privations  and  the  service  they  en 
dured. 

The  War  between  our  Government  and  Mexi 
co  established  the  boundry  of  Texas  and  gave  to 
us  California,  Nevada,  Colorado,  Utah  and  New 
Mexico.  It  gives  us  a  direct  road  to  China  and  the 
East  Indies.  It  rounded  out  the  symmetrical  pro 
portions  pf  our  country.  It  gaves  us  territory  from 
the  mines  of  which  we  acquired  more  than  $3,000,- 
000,000  in  gold  and  the  precious  metals.  It  gave  us 
the  finest  harbor  in  the  world.  Such  was  the  work 
of  the  "Mexican  war  veterans." 


INCIDENTS    OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR.      295 

The  Journal   should   read  history   to  a  better 
purpose,  or  not  read  it  at  all. 


In  the  matter  of  pensions  we  honor  our  country 
for  her  liberality  to  the  soldiers  of  her  wars.  She 
has  bestowed  pensions  on  the  soldiers  of  the  Revo 
lution,  on  those  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  on  those  of 
the  Civil  War.  And  she  is  now  yearly  bestow 
ing  many  millions  on  the  survivors  or  the  families  of 
the  soldiers  who  served  in  these  wars.  Yet  the 
soldiers  of  the  Mexican  war  have  received  but  a 
crumb  of  the  country's  bounty,  though  time  has  re 
duced  their  number  to  a  few  thousand,  and  age  is 
weakening  the  energies  of  the  needy  for  exercising 
the  means  for  comfortable  subsistence. 

Whilst  we  honor  and  love  our  country  and  re 
joice  at  the  liberality  that  rewards  the  soldiers,  who 
have  exposed  their  lives  in  her  service,  we  would 
respectfully  inquire  of  those  who  dispense  her 
charity,  what  has  been  done  in  the  Mexican  war, 
to  cause  her  discriminating  neglect  of  its  soldiers? 

Those  who  direct  the  destinies  of  our  country 
may  see  a  broad  and  enlarged  patriotism  in  the 
brotherhood  of  the  surviving  soldiers  of  the  Mexi 
can  war.  This  brotherhood  has  no  partisan  feel 
ing,  no  sectional  hate.  Its  spirit  is  abroad  with 
healing  and  binding  sentiments  in  all  the  correspon 
dences,  that  strengthen  the  unity  and  enlarge  the 
greatness,  glory,  and  happiness  of  our  people.  It 
points  to  deeds  that  are  the  glory  of  all ;  and  to  con 
quests  that  have  opened  the  Western  gates  of  our 
commerce,  and  is  greeting  the  old  civilization  of 
the  East,  and  transferring  them  in  the  unity  of  the 
peacefully  conquering  Christian  civilization  from 
the  West,  and  is  constantly  pouring  millions  in  its 
channels  of  distribution  to  nourish,  instruct,  and 
Ucss  nianlcin-:. 


296      INCIDENTS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR. 

The  author,  while  realizing  that  the  shadows  of 
his  life  are  rapidly  lengthening,  hopes  to  live  to  see 
the  services  of  himself  and  surviving  comrades  of 
the  Mexican  War,  appreciated  sufficiently  by  his 
country,  to  insure  them  a  pension  of  one  dollar  per 
day.  This  amount,  considering  the  few  who  yet 
survive,  would  be  but  a  trifle  compared  to  the 
wealth  to  the  nation  won  by  that  war,  and  it  would 
prove  a  God-send  and  blessing  to  many  a  bent  and 
feeble  frame,  whose  sands  of  life  are  well  nigh  run 
out. 


